Rime and Scales
by CrazyTom1313
Summary: Two years after what's been termed as "The Great Thaw," Elsa has gained the love of her kingdom. She finds herself jealous of what Anna and Kristoff have, but all suitors sent her way focus on her title. Little does she know, war approaches Arendelle, and with it, a man wreathed in legends. Rated M for Blood. [Elsa OC] Frozen is owned by Disney.
1. Prologue

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Snow fell over Arendelle as a queen ran to her solitary confinement. On the other side of the mountain, winter preceded her. A solitary man trekked the brewing snowstorm paying no attention to the cold, nor the ice that started to cling to his clothes and eyebrows. His focus was solely finding shelter. The bundle he carried in his arms was as important, if not more. It made no noise, but shivered against his body. The heavy cloak wasn't going to be warm for long enough. He sang lullabies to it, trying to keep it calm, but also to remind him to keep going. He finished one tune and was about to start a new one when the wind carried a voice to him. He reached for his sword, but paused. It was beautiful. _Who would be out in this weather at all? _He decided to follow it, and happened on a regal looking woman in a blue and black dress.

He never got close enough to see her face, but instead noted a purple cape floating in the wind. He manipulated it enough to catch it and wrap the bundle with an extra layer. The only response was a green reptilian orb looking at him with a worried look.

"We'll find shelter soon, little one." He said. He then replaced the bundle in his cloak, looking over and seeing the woman now erecting _is that- an ice castle?_ He shook the thought out of his head as he tried to look for any sort of shelter. He started having thoughts of approaching the castle when the storm broke.

Dawn crept over the horizon, revealing a cave. He looked at the castle again but decided on the cave. He didn't want to impose on someone who seemed to exhibit prowess with magic. He entered the cave, and saw that it was empty. He thanked his luck and went about building a fire. He didn't realize how the weather had effected him until he found himself in a coughing fit. He reached in his pack to grab a flask, and drank. Thankfully, the alcohol hadn't frozen, and it warmed his insides, or so he liked to think.

He then turned to where the beginnings of a fire was. The embers were weak, so he chose to speed up the process. A few sparks shot out of his hand before a flame roared into the heart of his kindling. Once the fire was warm enough, he moved the bundle over and began unwrapping it slowly. The little wyrmling was greatful to stretch out it's limbs, aknowledging the sentiment by nipping affectionately at his hand.

"I love you too," he chuckled and looked outside.. "Dinner, or now breakfast as it seems to be, will be along shortly." He prepared a few pieces of ham, but as he did so, his thoughts drifted to that voice. There was only one other time he heard a voice that pretty, and it was gone now. The wyrmling picked up on his apprehension, leaning it's neck in to comfort him. He gave it a few pieces that he had thawed out from the pan over the fire, wondering what Arendelle held for them. After all, not everyone had the unfortunate blessing of raising a dragon.

After sharing his meal with his scaley little friend, he then stood up, causing it to look at him quizzically. "I have to go into the town. I have a one-time contact to try to get some more lore to help us." It stepped toward him, and he shook his head. "I can't take you with me this time, little one. I can tell the region is already in chaos due to the sudden snows, and I don't want to add to it." The wyrmling chirped plaintively. "I'll be back soon, and maybe this time I'll actually find you a good name."

Without another word, he left the wyrmling, stepping back into the cold. His body ached in protest. He was pushing himself, but he could sleep when this was over. He started his way to the town, using his walking stick for balance. He couldn't help but hear him self humming words that stuck in his head last night: "Let it go, Let it go..."

The man arrived at the gates, passing by. The guards seemed busy, so they hurried him through, thinking that a lone wanderer wouldn't pose a threat. He chuckled knowing that they were quite wrong, but slowly made his way through the streets taking in the sight. He had been to many places and seen many things in his short life so far, but Arendelle's capital was already up in the most intriguing. It was one of the few places he walked through the streets without having judgemental eyes over him, and he was thankful for that. More than a few residents were outright inviting. He made his way to a stable, where he met a stout, balding man.

"You're the one who contacted me?" He asked. He seemed stressed, but he hid his emotions well.

"I am." The wanderer pulled a pouch of gold and handed it to him.

"I am also supposed to ask you to show it." The man continued. The taller man was about to protest, but the man insisted. Sighing, the wanderer pulled a blade from his left hip, about longsword-sized. He then pulled a slightly smaller blade from over his shoulder and locked it into the hilt of the first blade, creating a glaive-like weapon. The man's eyes widened slightly. That was enough to convice him.

"Satisfied?" the stout man nodded, and the wanderer seperated the blades, and replaced them from where he produced them.

"If the guards were to see this, we both would hang." He looked around nervously. The name is Kai by the way. At your service, Master?"

The wanderer paused. He was hoping that this would have gone without the exchanging of names. "I would rather this happen without names. That way you aren't implicated by knowing my name."

"If you insist, sir." Kai lead the wanderer through the alleys. The traveler's steel-colored eyes scanned the area, as he was led into the castle via a secret passege. I will make sure that the proverbial coast is clear." Judging by the stature and the clothing, Kai was proabably the butler or something. There was a knock on the secret door, signaling for the wanderer to come out. From there it was a quick walk to the study.

As soon as the room was opened to him. He dashed past the butler, and disappeared among the stacks. He soon got a quick idea of the organization, but the lore he was after was in the farthest section. As he went to the back of the library, he could tell the books were starting to get more and more dusty. So many tales lost in history, not enough time to read them all. He soon found a red leather- bound book with a dragon eye on it. He pulled it out and sat on the floor, reading.

He was there for some time before Kai interrupted his research. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but will you be much longer?"

"I think I've found all I've had the time to gather." The wanderer looked up and saw that it was dusk. He had lost track of time again. He closed the page, but not before a name stuck out to him: Esmerelle. He smiled and replaced the book. "Now, just lead me to the courtyard, I can-" the gold from earlier was shoved back into his hands.

"I need you to do a task for me. Worth more than the gold you gave me. The princess has gone missing. Find her, keep her safe." He opened a window, exposing the rooftops.

"I'm sorry what?" The wanderer was stunned.

"Last night was the coronation of Queen Elsa." _Beautiful name,_ he mused. "Princess Anna and the queen had a fight, and Elsa ran off. Where, we do not know. Anna has just left to find her sister." The wanderer looked out the window, seeing the horse run away. "Please help us, master-"

The wanderer shook his head. "You know what I am, then you know I can't intervene. Too risky." Kai started to protest. We stand on the precepice of change. If I can rebuild history, then there's no telling what would become of the world. I can't do that from the dungeon of your fair castle."

The wanderer left the gold on the table. "Save it, you might need it." Kai turned to pick it up, but when he looked back, the wanderer was gone.

He made his way back to the cave. The little wyrmling was waiting for him, tending the fire. When it noticed him, it chirped excitedly, and in his mind he saw images of wolves chasing a sleigh, and then..._was that blood?_ "Your first hunt?" The wyrmling bobbed it's head confirming the answer. "I'm proud." He sat down near the fire, and the wyrmling came over and rested it's head in his lap. "I will be fine. Hey, I actually found a name that fit. I found it in the book at the castle. How do you feel about Esmerelle?"

The wyrmling thought about it, then made a confirmation sound. "You approve? Good. That's a relief." He sighed, and looked over the notes he took. "Looks like Corona is our next stop. That is after some much-needed rest." He spread out a bedroll, and closed his eyes.

He woke up to Esmerelle prodding her with his nose. "What? What's goin on?" He looked out to the sound of people, and he put the fire out with a spell. He grabbed his weapons and waited. The longsword was the first to appear in his right hand, his left in a ready position, fingers tracing the hilt of a throwing knife. A man turned the corner. He had Weaselton garb on, and his stunned expression at the sight of a wyrmling was met with a knife buried deep into his windpipe. The man behind him shouted, but when he turned around, his eyes fixed on the steel orbs that belonged to the cause of his demise.

The wanderer looked around, and saw another group coming. He sprung to action, easily outmatching those that looked to capture him. When he finished, there was a circle of blood around him. He noticed a group taking the same woman from earlier back towards Arendelle. He thought to spring into action, but instead sheathed his weapons and tailed the group. He then looked over to Esmerelle. "Stay here. I've got to help" The only response he got was an annoyed look. It wasn't the first he'd receive, and it wouldn't be the last.

He followed the group into the city, and even got a glimpse of the girl in chains. Her blue eyes were the saddest sight he had ever seen. He watched them go into the castle, then started looking around. He found the secret passage, and snuck into the castle. A plan was already formulating in his head. He couldn't believe his luck. The good bit was that he didn't get caught by any of the guards. The bad luck was that the guards were all foreign.

_Someone's performing a nice little coup. _The thought rattled around in his head for a moment then he smiled. _I think it's time to put a chink in their plans. Someone that beautiful can't be that bad of a ruler._ He snuck down to the dungeons, and found her cell. He cursed under his breath. _Damn fjord is on the other side._

"Who's there?" The woman's voice came from inside the cell, and it shook him out of his planning. Their eyes connected, and she just looked at him, helpless. He didn't know it, but she was wondering about his eyes. She had never seen eyes like his. Who did they belong to? Why where they here?

"I'm here to help. Start freezing your chains." The man replied.

"How do you know?" Hope was starting to creep back into his voice.

"About your power? I've seen it before. I'll see you on the other side" He dashed away, not looking back. He made his way through the castle, getting lost once or twice. There was a commotion. He looked out the front gate to see a girl whom he had guessed was the princess being brought back to the castle. He noted that she didn't look so good when a shout caught his attention. He had been found.

This guard was from the Southern Isles. He already had noteriety there, and he could tell the guard knew it. "Blimey. I didn't think you were real." He looked back down the hall "Dra-" his voice was cut off by a knife buried in his throat. The wanderer sped by the guard and pulled the knife out, throwing it at a fresh one who turned the corner. He then drew his blades, exploding through a window onto a rooftop. A couple guards tried to follow, but their armor proved too bulky to keep up with him, and he soon was out of their reach.

He jumped off the wall, a hail of arrows flying at where he jumped from, none of them hitting their marks. He didn't anticipate landing right on the fjord, however, for as his legs touched the ice, he tired to roll, and instead felt a pop in his knee.

"Bloody hell." He looked down and tried to move it. It functioned, but not without eliciting new waves of pain. He stood, and fought through it, making to the wall. He found a piece of driftwood and cut a few sections. After a few minutes, the man bound his leg in a splint, and limped over to the wall of the castle. Replacing the hood, he grabbed some snow and started packing. He knew which wall he was aiming for, and threw it in. Her blue eyes peered over. They looked worse than before, almost utterly defeated.

"Watch yourself. Get to the wall" He waited until she cleared out. What came next was a blast through the wall, as an ice ball blew through and exploded against the door.

The woman climbed out, and turned to face her savior. A look of concern crossed her face when she saw the splint. "No time. I have to get you out of here. Besides, a pretty thing like you shouldn't worry about a wretch like me."

"You don't want to help me. I-I'm dangerous." she replied.

"How do you think I blew through that wall?" She could only see the smirk on his face.

"Who are you?" She reached for the hood and pushed it back, studying his face.

"Just a wanderer, returning a favor." He then started hobbling "we need to move."

Despite his hobbling, and being on ice, he moved faster than she did, and the snow was picking up. He guessed why she thought her own powers were dangerous, but when he looked back, he couldn't see her. He couldn't even see where he was going. He saw an outline of something big, and found a ship. He peered around, hearing voices. Then all at once, the snow blew away and stopped. He saw a well-groomed, well-dressed man, standing over the woman, who was crying. He also saw the sword. He started to analyze the situation, when he saw another girl rush in, stopping the blow. He was stunned, as was everyone else who watched the situation. The other girl turned into ice.

The wanderer started limping to the shore, but then something caught his eye. The ice was melting. He hobbled over to the shore, and barely made it as the fjord returned to it's normal state. He disappeared into the townsfolk, now seeing the two women happy. He soon found out that the blonde was the queen, and that the now-redhead was the princess. He pondered things for a moment, before he noticed a pair of blue eyes focusing on him. He nodded, raised his hood and disappeared. Corvino Al'Draco had gotten involved enough for one adventure. His road took him elsewhere.

Elsa.

She looked around for her mystery man, and found him. His steel eyes were pensive. Almost sad. She had seen that look in her reflection way too many times. She wanted desperately to help him, but he took notice of her. He just nodded, raised his hood, and slipped into the crowd. She looked down. _Who was he? Why did he help me? What did he mean by returning a favor?_

"Elsa?" Anna looked at her sister. "You ok?"

"Never better," Elsa smiled. She was getting her best friend back, and she wasn't gonna let some mystery man keep her from that. Even if he was cute.

**(A/N. Wanted to set the scene for the two characters I'll focus mainly on, but in order to do that, I had to establish Corvino. Yes, I realize he went against what he said he was going to do, it will tie in later.)**


	2. Corvino

Elsa.

Two and a half years had passed since the great thaw. Elsa went to great lengths to provide for her kingdom, and it did nothing but flourish. Kristoff and Anna grew increasingly close, and Elsa knew that Kristoff was close to popping the quesiton. Elsa couldn't help but be jealous, due to the fact that Anna had someone who got to know her personally. All the suitors that came to court elsa were just interested in her title. As annoying as that was, it was even worse when after Elsa turned each of them down that Anna would start teasing her about her "Mystery Man." Elsa never figured out the story behind him. She even met with Kristoff's family, but all they gave her were vague answers at best. Even Pabbie was stymied bout him.

The lack of answers didn't stop Anna, whenever she got the chance to tease Elsa, and today was no exception. The son of some duke had just left town, rejected again. He was a nice enough boy, but that's all he was, a boy.

"Come on, Elsa. This one made the return trip to see you, and you're holding out for someone who's a figment of your imagination." The teasing was meant with the most love possible.

"He felt entitled to me because he was attempting to court a queen. I don't want someone who just wants my title. Also, I told you before. The wanderer was real. He helped me out of the dungeons." The explaination started regal, but she did blush when she talked about her "Mystery man."

"What do you think Kristoff?" The redhead turned to the man driving the sleigh.

"I think that you two should focus on the town we're headed to. Remember, it's one of the last ones to visit. Due to the isolation, they don't get as much support from the kingdom." That was Kristoff being Kristoff. More focused on things around him than getting involved in the discussion when it approached the man who supposedly helped Elsa.

"He is right, we need to make sure we figure out the best way to give them aid during the winters." Elsa's voice had returned to a regal, more queen-like tone. "We need to figure out what we can do to help them survive the winter."

The conversation stopped when the sleigh stopped. Kristoff looked at the reindeer that was pulling it. "What is it Sven?"

Before the reindeer could answer, eight bandits appeared. One of them, who obviously was the leader spoke up. "Well, well, well. What 'ave we got 'ere boys? Fancy 'un's, no doubt." He paused as a chuckle rumbled from some of the other men. "Alright, 'ere's how this is gonna work out. Yer gonna give us the sleigh, yer fancy clothes, and the reindeer. Any struggles, and we may have to–heh heh–partake of the ladies."

"Umm boss?" one of the bandits looking back the way the trio had come from. "How many did Davey say to expect?"

"Mikkel, keep yer damned mouth shut." The leader snapped.

"But boss, Who's he?" Mikkel asked, pointing to a hooded stranger, entering the clearing.

Corvino.

High above the road, Corvino found himself entering Arendelle again. He couldn't explain it, but something was drawing him back. Either that or Esmerelle missed this place. High above the world, the two of them soared, hiding amongst the clouds. The dragon had grown quickly over the course of the past two and a half years, augmented by magic that Corvino had come across. She was now nearly thirty feet long, and very muscularly built with a wingspan of nearly fifteen feet.

Despite the growth and the ability to fly another person, the biggest devlopment was her mind, as she was now able to communicate with a language. Though she communicated telepathically, the two still conversed in the draconic tongue. She claimed that it helped her feel closer to her heritage.

"So are you going to tell me why we're coming back to Arendelle? Seems pretty peaceful from here." He secretly was happy to come back, but he wanted a reason. Not just because it was a welcoming country.

"So you didn't notice the impending hoarde? There's a hamlet not far from the boarders that's in danger." She paused to let him think about the massive group of goblins they had come across. "I may not have the expirience that you do, but that seems more than what's required for a raiding party."

"Maybe it's just an oversized clan. You know how goblins work. Their clans get too big and then they split, usually after a raid." He was rationalizing, but not far off the normal mark, given the way goblin clans worked.

"No. Call it intuition, but a gathering this big is bad." She craned her neck to fix a green orb on him. "Besides, we need to keep the package safe."

Corvino looked down and chuckled. _Those who fail to learn from history are to repeat it._ The thought went through his head as he fed a sky blue wyrmling. "Then we should take him to Duncan and Kaylee. That's where he's going to end up. You know my knack for having trouble find me."

"And miss out on you trying to stumble your words while talking to the Ice Queen? Not a chance." There was a rumbling chuckle. "I want to see the two of you go through the conversation."

"It was two and a half years ago, I looked different then." He subconsciously stroked a shortly trimmed black beard. "No facial hair, no traveling with a dragon the size of a small ship." He dripped the last sentiment with sarcasm. "I doubt she'd recognize me. What's with trying to set me up anyways? It's not like I'm in a position to settle down here, what with trying to fight a war."

"A war that you are fighting yourself." The point rung all too true. He had been on his own for three years, leaving Duncan and Caylee. He had to, to protect his sister.

"Less people I need to have worrying about me."

"Less people to help me with that burden, little one." The moniker made Corvino truly smile. It was what he called Esmerelle when she was a wyrmling, and now that she was grown, she used the same term of endearment for him.

"You've got me there. A dragon's heart may physically be bigger, but that doesn't mean it can take more pain. I still question why you think I'd end up with a queen, though." He looked across the scenery below them.

"At this point I'd take a barmaid. It's at least someone else for you to let in." She snorted to puncuate the statement.

"Mother's dead, so you take her role of worrying and seeing me off?" The comment was meant to be sarcastic, but it came out with a measure of hurt. His mother was still a touchy subject.

"Corvino Al'Draco, You're a reckless wretch who needs a reason for living, not a reason to fight." The dragon issued the statement with a measure of finality.

She was about to continue when Corvino spotted something. "Bandits. One scout, eight others. Looks like they've got a mark. Buzz the scout, and then get you and the wyrmling to safety. He began securing the wyrmling in a harness.

"You'll never change, will you?" She initiated the manuver

Corvino grabbed his walking stick. "Not without a good reason." He flashed a smile, then jumped off.

The scout was to occupied with the dragon to notice Corvino land behind him. His surprise doubled when he received a tap on the shoulder. "Hello there." A swift punch to the temple knocked the man out, and he fell out of the tree.

Corvino slipped back into a role he knew all too well, that of a wandering storyteller, and continued down the road. He approached the clearing and his enhanced senses were on the mark. One scout, 8 to do the dirty work. He then noticed the sled, and something struck him. He saw a platinum blonde who seemed familiar. The prescence was intoxicating.

"Umm Boss? How many people did Davey tell us to expect?" one of the bandits spoke, shaking Corvino out of his thoughts. Time to go to work. He stepped into the clearing.

Elsa.

She stared at the stranger who approached the group. The "Boss" spoke. "This is no business of yers, friend. Move along."

"These people are not worth your time. Reindeer are hard to train once they've been imprinted. The sleigh would be useless, as would your cargo. I however have something more practical, and far more valueable." The wanderer spoke with a cold tone, but something about him seemed familiar.

"What would a wanderer have that would be more valueable than them combined?" The boss challenged.

"For starters, I'm more than just a wanderer. I am a storyteller. It's my job to keep legends alive." As he spoke, he undid something at his belt and tossed a sword and scabbard towards the boss. It was unlike any Elsa had seen, as it was very ornate. The hilt ended in a jagged fashion, looking almost incomplete. "This happens to be one such item of legend."

"Bloody hell, Eiric, is that a glaive-sword?" Mikkel asked in wonder.

"By th' hair on my ass. It is. I never thought I'd ever see one in person." Eiric pulled out the blade, and it shone in a hungry manner. The image of a dragon shone along the blade. The queen couldn't help but notice that some of the other bandits were as confused as she was.

"Allow me to explain for the rest of your company. That is one half of a glaive-sword. A weapon favored by the old Draconic Knights." She thought she could make out a smile forming on the stranger's face. She couldn't tell for sure because all she saw was his beard. "That blade alone could allow any one of you to retire comfortably. However, if one were to have the blade paired with it, they could sell it and buy a kingdom. Why worry with travelers in Arendelle, when you could easily barter with Weaselton, or the Jade Regions? How does King Eiric the Magnificient sound? Or King Mikkel the Terrible? Or you? What's your name?" he points at a younger member of the company.

"K-Kevin, sir." Elsa thought that was a funny name, and chuckled a little.

"Kevin? Really?" He shook his head. "Kevin the mighty. Here's how this will work. You will have to fight me for the blade. If you draw my blood, I will yield, you will take that blade, and I will give you the paired blade." Again, a smile.

"Alright boys, you 'eard 'im. Th' boy's asking for it." He motioned to Kevin. "Yeh wanted yer chance to prove yerself, this is it, boy."

Kevin approached the stranger and charged. At the last moment with a great measure of speed, the man sidestepped and hit Kevin in the back of the knee with his walking stick.. Kevin fell to the ground. "Stay down, kid. You can get out of this faster than them." the man turned to the rest of the group that was now wandering to Eiric. "Who's – I said stay down, Kevin." He spun and hit Kevin in the head with the stick. He again faced the group "Next?"

"Mikkel. You're up." Eiric grunted, and Mikkel lumbered up toward the man.

"You're big," the wanderer remarked. There was an air of confidence in his voice. "Fought bigger." Mikkel charged and the man instead of dodging, swung the stick to block Mikkel's sword. He then headbutted Mikkel, the hood slipping in the process. Elsa saw a set of steel-colored eyes that she couldn't believe she saw. _It can't be him, can it?_ She wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted when the man swung his stick, breaking Mikkel's left knee. She cringed at the sound.

Mikkel whimpering, the wanderer looked back at Eiric. "More of a challenge, please." Eiric seemed to oblige, sending two more in. the three remaining started to circle. The initial two charged and one actually broke the stick, but received a swift kick to the gut. "That was my favorite walking stick," came the sarcastic remark. The other tried to run, but the wanderer just used the man's knee as a stepping stool as he swung his right leg to the man's temple. The wanderer turned to confirm the man was down when the first charged again. The wanderer caught the man's arms over his shoulder and broke them, grabbing the man's sword. He then turned to the three circling him, twirling the sword around before dropping his right arm at an angle. With his left hand, he egged the remaining three to engage him with his fingers.

All too happy to oblige, they charged. The first one to reach this unlikely hero met an untimely defeat when he found his right leg cut and he tumbled. Not before the wanderer smacked his hand with the flat of the newly picked up blade. Suddenly it was two men against one dual-wielding self-described storyteller. A furious display of swordplay ensued before the wanderer stabbed one man in the feet, one blade for each foot. He then turned to the other man.

The lone bandit smiled and charged, but was surprised when the wanderer caught his blow. Both him and Elsa had barely comprehended what had happened when she heard simultanious cracks. She winced as she watched the bandit tumble, knees buckling ways they shouldn't have. Turning back to the man pinned by the feet, the wanderer pulled out the blades, and knocked the man down. The blades followed, one digging into the inside of each thigh. "I don't advise moving if you want to ever make love again."

She heard Anna call out, and saw Eiric running away with the blade. She noticed the wanderer throw something and saw small glimmers in the daylight. Eiric was caught, and pinned into a tree. He dropped the blade he was carrying in the process. The wanderer slowly walked to the tree, picking up his blade in the process.

"Eiric, what am I to do with you. We had a deal, and you didn't hold up your end of the bargin." He replaced the scabbard as he sidled up to the tree. Elsa couldn't see the wanderer's face, but Eiric seemed to pale when he made eye contact with him. "Throwing knives I can replace. I'll just leave you all here for the town guards." A swift blow to the head knocked the man out.

Turning back to the party, Elsa was sure this was her mystery man, but she didn't dare try to confirm that in front of Anna. She was too busy trying to figure it all out in her head that she didn't notice that the man was addressing her. "I'm sorry?" she bowed her head to try to hide the slieght blush forming across her face.

"I asked if everyone was alright. I couldn't let these ruffians get away with terrorizing travelers." His eyes lingered on her for a moment before flitting to Anna and Kristoff.

"Tell me, how does a storyteller learn to fight like that?" Kristoff chimed in, echoing Elsa's curiosity.

"I've travled to many places. The road can be dangerous." The answer was curt yet cryptic. "I'm just happy to help." He turned to walk down the road.

"You can't just leave us, we have to find a way to thank you." Anna chimed in.

"Not necessary, madam. I don't have far to go, I was just on my way to Redbrooke.

"We were on our way there ourselves, perhaps we can give you a ride?" Anna shot Elsa a look, and Elsa already had an uneasy feeling about this.

The wanderer seemed to ponder the offer for a moment. "I accept." He joined them in the sleigh, and Anna moved up to sit next to Kristoff, leaving the wanderer to sit next to Elsa. This time she held the blush back, instead, shooting her sister an annoyed look, but Anna just gave her that goofy grin that she used whenever she teased the queen.

"I'm Anna, and this is Kristoff, my bethrothed. That is my sister, Elsa." She pointed at Kristoff and Elsa, and again, Elsa noticed the eyes. _He's hiding something behind those eyes._ She was sure of the thought, but didn't pursue it, as Anna pointed to the reindeer. "And that's Sven."

"My name is Corvino Al'Draco. At your service. Had I known I would be accepting a ride from the princess and queen of Arendelle, I would have dressed for the occasion."

"No need to be so formal, Master Al'Draco. Just Elsa and Anna is fine," Elsa found herself saying. She started beating herself up about saying that.

She noticed him watching her and saw a cocky grin spread his face. "Alright, than you can just call me Corvino."

Corvino.

He sometimes loved having two voices in his head. Sometimes when Corvino thought about things, Esmerelle would offer other perspectives. When having outward conversations, it did become a bit of a hinderence, however.

_So you totally had to show off to the pretty girl, didn't you?_ Was that Esmerelle being condescending?

_Really hard to talk when you keep telepathically assualting me with questions, my friend._ He did his best to focus on the conversation. He caught the introductions, "Corvino Al'Draco, at your service." The rest of the statement was formal.

He was caught off-guard when the queen asked to drop formalities. _I think she may know._

"Alright then, you can just call me Corvino." He smiled, almost as much at the queen's statement as he did when Esmerelle responded.

_Of course she is suspecting. You are now twice her mystery hero in her hour of need. Impressions like that are hard to shake._

**(A/N) One favorite and five follows. Happy to see that. Would like to hear feedback if you have any. **


	3. Stories and Legends

**I'm glad to see the support. I apologize, this one is going to be more set up. then we'll get to some action, and maybe even some romance.**

Corvino.

As soon as they got moving, he was bombarded with questions. All from Anna. _Does this girl ever breathe?_ He couldn't process the response from Esmerelle. "Anna, One at a time. I can't process."

She smiled sheepishly. "Oh sorry. So where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from a land far away from here in the north. It's called Jassiney." He hated answering that question, due to the next series. He guessed the words before the question came.

"I've never heard of that. Is it pretty?" Elsa was the one who asked it.

"It was. It's gone now." He kept a straight face, but he knew still trying to face it hurt. He never wanted to accept the depth of it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up." He saw Elsa now slightly embarassed.

"Don't worry about it. You had no way of knowing." He responded. "Next question."

"You said you were a storyteller, could you tell us a story?" Anna chimed up again.

"When I tell a story, I tend to make it more of a spectacle. It can be pretty hard to do in a sleigh. I'm sorry." The stories would have to wait, and he noticed the disappointment on Anna's face. "If you can get me going at Redbrook though, I promise I will put on a show."

"Are you traveling by yourself?" This time it was Elsa asking the question. He turned to look at her. _Careful not to get lost in those eyes, little one,_ Esmerelle taunted.

"I have a friend, but she prefers her own company."

"She? Is this a lover?" Anna perked up, teasing the question at him. He thought he saw a flash of disappointment in Elsa's eyes.

"No. It's more of a kindred thing." He chuckled. "Actually, it's probably similar to the relationship that Kristoff has with Sven." _There you go, little one. Compare the pinnacle of predatory and magical creatures to a reindeer. _The sarcasm was strong there. _What do you want me to say? I'm traveling with two dragons? _He was so wrapped up in the mental conversation that he missed the question. "I'm sorry what?" this elicited a chuckle from Elsa.

"I was wondering where your traveling companion is. I would like to meet her sometime." Her tone and smile were regal, but her eyes were laughing at him.

Before he was able to respond, Anna chimed in changing the subject. "If you're a wandering storyteller, you must have been to all sorts of places."

"Well of course." His mind traveled to the different kingdoms he's traveled to. "The Southern Isles are pretty, but a little warm for my taste. Weselton's markets are nice. I have never had a problem finding anything there. Then there's the eastern jungles of M'Baku. Beautiful, but very deadly. The very jungle will try to kill you. Big cats, even carnivorious plants."

He had the two girls hanging on every word. "The people there are very superstitious. Lots of magic runs free there. Voodoo is pretty big."

"Wait, you mean there's magic in the world?" Elsa perked up.

"Well, yes, but rather rare outside of M'Baku. You see, Weaselton and the Southern Isles banned the practices of magic. They've seen M'Baku and the magic that runs rampant there and became scared."

"What about elsewhere? Jassiney?" Anna piped back up.

Corvino smiled. "You'll see charlatans in desert kingdom of Agrabah. They have legends of genies, but I have never seen any personally. As far as Jassiney goes," Corvino paused. His mind walked among his memories. "It was full of magic. Probably stemming from the Dragons that lived there." He noticed the surprise on Elsa's face when he said the word Dragon. He also noticed Anna's jaw drop. He couldn't resist taking a shot at the princess's expense."Hey. She does get quiet."

Elsa and Kristoff chuckled and Sven even snorted in amusement.

"Have you ever seen any?" Elsa asked the question before her sister could.

"A few. Some of the most beautiful things my eyes have ever seen. They aren't the fearsome beasts of legends. Yes, they are extremely dangerous. That doesn't discount the fact that they are noble creatures." He left it at that. Elsa seemed to want more information, but Kristoff spoke up.

"We're coming up on Redbrooke."

Corvino just smiled, and sat back. He listened to the jingle of Sven's harness as they pulled into town. While everyone was occupied with trying to meet the queen and princess, He slipped away, finding the tavern. He ordered a mug of ale, and went through his mind deciding what stories to tell that night.

Elsa.

She and Anna took turns asking questions. She found herself intrigued by Corvino's homeland, but hurt that he had to carry such a burden. She at least understood part of what laid behind his eyes. When the traveling companion question came up, her heart felt like it plunged into her stomach when he mentioned the female traveling companion and then it jumped in her throat when he said there was no romance. She hoped maybe she would get lucky to have one of the magic users visit her kingdom to teach her more about her powers. When the conversation turned to dragons, she was very interested. She wanted to know more, but Kristoff intrerrupted him, informing the three that they approached Redbrook. When they entered the city, a crowd gathered to get a sight of and maybe even meet the queen and princess. When she looked over, she saw that Corvino had bailed out. _No doubt making for the tavern. I'll bet he's had a long journey._

Her thoughts served her well, as when the three entered the tavern, she saw Corvino sitting in a corner with a mug of ale. Before she got a chance to talk to him, she got caught by the bartender, who made it a point to give the queen and princess free rooms. When she got done, explaining that they would pay for a normal room, Corvino was standing by the fire. There was a group forming around him.

He entered a story, and when he did, she understood what he meant by a spectacle. He used the smoke of the fire to create visuals. She couldn't tell if it was magic or not, but he was pretty good at it. It didn't take her long before she realized he was telling her story. Her heart leapt again hoping that he was her chance hero come back after two and a half years, but her mind told her that he had probably heard the story told along the road and was putting his own spin on it. She listened to the story, and smiled when she heard the collective gasp when he got to the part where Anna became frozen solid. He paused here.

"Fate would decide that Anna was not ready to die that day. For there is no greater act of love than sacrificing yourself for the sake of another. Love endured and thawed Anna and Arendelle. The rest as they say is history." He smiled as the audience clapped and cheered. They wanted another story. He was declining.

"What if the queen requests it?" Elsa found herself asking.

Corvino looked up. "Well, I'd be hard-pressed to decline. I will however need another drink." A new mug was given to him, and he took a long swig. "Let me see." he seemed to slip into a trance, muttering to himself.

His head shot up. "I've got just the story." His eyes seemed to gloss over. "Far to the north, there was a land called Jassiney. It was as beautiful as Arendelle, if not more. Jassiney was the last stronghold of the goodly folk, keeping the goblins of the nearby Velkor mountains at bay. That changed when the Drakes brought their eternal conflict with the Dragons down to our world.

"Now the major difference between drakes and dragons is that the drakes breed faster and their physiology is different than that of a dragon. Drakes have two legs and use their wings as forelegs. Dragons in all their regal glory have four legs and two wings." He manipulated the smoke to provide a visual. "This caused the Aerial Wars. For while the goblins don't have the capacity, some of the weak minded and vile humans took their talents to the drakes, who subjugated the goblins. They sought the power that the drakes could provide, and being the cruel masters that the drakes were, they gave it to these new followers. At the cost of their souls. Thus specters were made.

"This new union allowed the specters to ride on the drakes, and a fearsome pairing that was. For the drakes taught the specters how to fight the dragons. The days grew darker as the dragons slowly began dying out. That was when Minrathous came along.

"Minrathous was a specter, but his mount was slain in combat. He lived. His conscience regained, the only thing that his mind could bring him to do was seek repentance. He did so by coming to Jassiney, and giving himself up. When news of this reached Gallus, the lord of the dragons, Gallus decided to spare Minrathous. He instead used Minrathous's knowedge to create an order of knights to combat the specters. Thus the Draconic Knights came into being. These guardians bonded with a dragon and both Knight and dragon would undergo intensive training. Once their training was completed, the knight would receive a Glaive-sword. A magnificient weapon that appeared like twin blades, but locked at the hilts," He used his hands to draw emphasis to it, "to form a double weapon. When a Draconic Knight fought with this, he was a formidable opponent."

He paused to take a drink. "With the Draconic Knights taking to the skies, and the troops on the ground, they were able to gain the upper hand in the Aerial Wars. Battles raged over the world. One such battle happened at Marenga, the capitol of the Southern Isles. King Marus himself was a Draconic Knight and oversaw the battle with his own troops. The battle seemed to be won, as Marus proved himself to be a brilliant tactician. But evil would win that day, as Marus and his dragon Regatha turned on his fellow Knights."

"At the end of the day, Gallus himself sacrificed his life to kill Regatha, but he could not kill her Knight. The death toll that day was catastrophic. Marus was so blinded by rage that he ordered the death of all scaley-kind. Turning both on the Draconic Knights and their sponsors, and the Drakes. He himself led the attack to lay waste to Jassiney. To this day, his order still stands. Any scaley-kind, Drake or Dragon, found within the borders of the Southern Isles or Weaselton are to be killed.

"Despite this, throughout the world you still hear rumors of a dragon and his rider protecting a village. Or a fearsome specter laying waste to one. Many are still hopeful for the return of the Draconic Knights, and what a sight that would be to witness." As the storyteller ended his tale, a couple of smoke-dragons flew around, before disappearing up the chimney.

Elsa couldn't take her eyes off of Corvino. This obviously was a tale he cared for and enjoyed. His voice was hoarse as he looked over at her. "Does that satisfy her majesty?"

Elsa nodded, trying (and failing if Anna was any indication) to fight back a blush from him singling her out. The crowd didn't seem to notice, as the tavern erupted in applause. The townsfolk seemed to trip over themselves to try to pay the man's fees. She however noticed that he had slumped into a corner table, visibly exhausted. Elsa grabbed a mug and some food that was placed in front of her and brought them to him. This was her chance to try to talk to him alone.

Corvino.

_No matter how many times you tell that one, I always am amazed that you make it through, little one._ Esmerelle's voice echoed in his mind. _I shared with the wyrmling, and now he is out._

He chuckled. _I used to tell that one to you quite a bit if I remember correctly._

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a voice. "Did you say something?" He looked up and saw Elsa standing next to the table with food and a drink. She motioned to the chair across from him and he nodded.

"Sorry, was just going over the performance. That one always takes a lot out of me." he hungrily grabbed the food that she gave him.

"You were nothing short of entrancing, that's for sure. Though there's something you're not telling." she gave him a look that he was used to getting from Esmerelle. The one he got when he didn't say the whole truth. He nearly caught himself making a face when he was reminded of that fact from the dragon herself.

"Well, The destruction of Jassiney is a bloody tale. Not suitable for the kids." The statement was partly true, but he knew she wasn't talking about the story.

It seemed to sate her curiousity, however, as she continued. "So where do you go from here?"

"Well, wherever the road takes me. Wherever the stories are." His reply was a standard storyteller response.

"Have you ever made your way into Arendelle before? " She asked. He knew what she was trying to drive at.

"A couple of times. Although it's been a while since I have been here." Suddenly his mind exploded. He put a hand on his head.

"Are you alright?" Elsa asked with concern. She moved to him to render aid if needed.

Corvino barely noticed her, as he made sense of the warning. He didn't get to explain the episode, however. For at that moment, the bells at the guard tower began to ring.

**Thanks for reading. Feel free to review or even message me with comments. Heck if you want you can message me just to say Hi.**


	4. A Wretch Like Me

Corvino

The bells at the guard tower began to ring, and before anyone who didn't have a dragon mentally directing warnings at them were stunned. Corvino was the lucky one. He turned to Elsa and started to bring her mind back. "Elsa, I know what's coming. I would have said something earlier, but I got distracted by the stories. I apologize for not telling you. We can debate on what will happen later, but for now, this town needs a leader. This will be one of the hardest days of your reign, because it's not you that the attackers are after, it's your people. Go. Lead them. Get Kristoff to start organizing a caravan out. Get the guards to evacuate in a perimeter, and above all else, know that you can do this."

Before Elsa can say anything, he shot towards the stairs in the tavern that led to the room he rented. "Could have given me more warning." He muttered the words, seemingly to himself, but he knew he wasn't truly alone.

_I'm sorry. I lost track of them while caring for the wyrmling._ Esmerelle's response came into his head, and he just sighed. The room he rented was small, and he started replacing all his weapons to see if he can aid in his defense. The next message made him pause. _This group is more than it seems. Something feels wrong. Promise me you will be careful, little one. I will try to get there as fast as I can._

Corvino finished replacing his weapons. _I'll do my best to be careful, but no promises. Stay close. I don't want to involve you if it can be helped. With the size of the hoarde, Redbrooke is lost._

His reception of the dragon's response was cut off by a scream. He tied his cloak around him while he went to the window to determine the source. He saw Anna and Elsa with some children. A pair of goblins approached them and they were running out of room in the alley. Corvino jumped out the window, springing into action.

Elsa

When Corvino turned away, again he seemed to be muttering to himself. The windows exploded as arrows flew in striking tables and barrels. She shouted to Kristoff who surprisingly understood her and followed her orders. Anna however, had other plans. She was hovering over the tavern owner, who had an arrow sticking out of him. Elsa rushed over.

"My princess, my queen. Save my children. Please." with his last strength, he pointed to a door.

Elsa took her sister's hand and the two rushed to find three children, two girls and one boy.

"Follow us, we'll get you out of here." Anna started.

"But what about Da?" the oldest daughter asked. She looked about ten.

Anna looked at her sister, and Elsa tried to find the right words. "Your father wants you all to get out safely. We must get going." She picked up the smallest, a girl who couldn't have been older than three. Anna took the hands of the other two and the group jumped as the tavern door swung open, and a several grotesque humanoids walked in. Elsa couldn't believe her eyes. Those were _goblins._ She didn't even think they were alive.

The oldest spoke again, "Back door." She led them to the back door, and they exited into an alley. Their escape was short-lived, as they saw two more goblins coming down the alley, and these ones noticed the group. The daughter shreiked. The goblins approached with menacing looks on their faces.

That's when a blur dropped and a spray of blood erupted from the left one. The right one dropped to the ground from a leg tripping it. In a flash, Corvino was on top of it, punching it square in the nose once. Twice. Three times. After the third time, two daggers appeared in his hands as he the last thing that goblin saw were two daggers on a downward arc right for them. For added effect, he twisted. He rose and spun to launch the two daggers down the alley, and they hit each of their marks square in the throat. Elsa again was sure that he had training. Nobody who learned "From the road" could fight like this. It was an almost unbridled savagery.

Corvino turned around and looked at the group. "Everyone alright?"

Elsa nodded. "We were getting the bartender's kids out."

"Follow me. I'll take care of you all." He drew his longsword. He led them to the town square, but stopped when he saw a group of townsfolk being harassed by more goblins. One of them looked big and ugly enough to be a leader. "Stay here."

Elsa was about to protest, but he was already gone. He stepped into the clearing, stuck his sword in the ground and threw a group of knives, each one finding their mark. The leader then turned to regard him as he retrieved his longsword.

"Hey, big dumb and ugly. How about you pick on someone who's closer to your skill level." The goblin moved toward the man and bellowed a challenge. Corvino responded by drawing the short sword from over his shoulder.

Elsa took the moment to escort her sister and the kids to Kristoff's sleigh. The townsfolk saved by Corvino ran down the road out of the town towards Arendelle's capital. When she turned her attention to Corvino, he was fending off another slew of goblins. She saw one that was about to strike him and reacted, hitting it with a blast of ice. It froze solid right away.

Before she could comprehend what she did, Corvino looked over and just nodded a thanks. The sentiment was short lived, as the ground began to shake. A behemoth broke through a house, and Elsa found herself calling to Corvino as he ran to meet it's challenge.

Corvino.

He barely heard the call. This thing wasn't going to kill the queen, even if he had to sacrifice himself.

_Don't you dare think that, little one. I'm swiftly approaching. In the meantime, use your speed._

Corvino sheathed both blades, and rolled between the thing's legs. He already knew what he was doing. He drew knives and hopped on the thing's back. Using them to climb up to the head, he then found a meaty area in the neck and stabbed with both. He wasn't fast enough to keep the thing from throwing him off, as the hulking giant threw him into a nearby wall. He heard the thing collapse and he saw Elsa running over to him. He tried to stand up and felt a stabbing pain in his side. Sensing Esmerelle's alarm, he shot a mental response at her. _That one hurt. Think I broke a rib._

"Corvino, are you alright?" She helped him stand.

"A beautiful lady like yourself shouldn't worry about a wretch like me." Something lit up in her eyes, as he confirmed her suspicions, but before anymore words could be said, a new cry split the night.

Elsa

She saw the pain. Corvino looked in bad shape. "Corvino, are you alright?" She grabbed his arm and helped him stand.

"A beautiful lady like yourself shouldn't worry about a wretch like me." Her heart leapt, as her mind raced to figure out what question she was going to ask next. Before she could ask she heard a roar.

"What the hell was that?" Kristoff had come to get the pair. "Was that a dragon?"

Elsa turned to look at Corvino. His eyes were closed. "No, Master Bjorgman, that was a drake. Dragon calls are more melodic. The town is lost. You should move.

"You're coming with, right?" She looked at him plaintively. "You're hurt."

His response was stopped by him pushing them. The next thing she knew, she felt searing heat, as drakefire rained down around them. Corvino was on the other side of a firey wall. She wanted to put the fires out, to help this man, but Kristoff pulled her to his sleigh. A shadow fell over them and a rush of wind blew out the fires. Elsa looked up to see a beautiful emerald-colored hulk, land behind Corvino, who was already climbing on.

"This my dear Kristoff, is a dragon." for added effect, the dragon roared and leapt to the air to take on the newcomer. Elsa stared after the pair, lost in her thoughts. This revealation answered a lot of questions, but brought more.

Anna interrupted her thoughts. "Elsa? Come on. Loverboy will find us if he wants to."

Corvino

The dragon led Corvino to the drake, and he let out a curse. _What the bloody hell is a specter doing here?_

_Want me to get you close enough to ask?_ The dragon looked at him with amusement. _It would be a good chance to impress the queen that seems to be enamored with you._

_Just get me closer. _This wasn't the time for the jokes, but the dragon put the mental image of Elsa watching them fly into the night in his head. Without a response the dragon moved closer, paying no heed to the forces running away into the forest.

Corvino stood up. His chest was bothering him, but the rush of being airborne pushed the pain aside. He ran atop Esmerelle's head and crouched, anticipation coursing through his veins. This was his first battle with a specter, and he was going to fight it on his own terms. He formed the plan in his head. "Get it to the square. I'll engage, you take the drake out."

A curt snort was the only reply, as she corraled the drake over. Corvino received a mental image of the saddle that the specter sat in, and smiled. "Now!" He jumped and knocked the specter, using a dagger to cut the saddle. The two fell to the ground as the drake and dragon flew off snapping at one another.

This time, Corvino rolled when he hit the ground, but saw that the specter was standing over it's saddle. That, combined with the pain in his chest elicited a new string of curses. The specter drew it's blade, and Corvino drew his twin blades. The skirmish didn't take long before Corvino knew he was outmatched. He did his best to keep from taking hits, but he took one in his thigh. Fresh waves of pain rolled over him as he did a mental check. He looked down to see an arrow sticking out of him just above his knee. In a flash, the specter killed the goblin that shot the arrow out of anger. Corvino cracked a smile through the waves of pain. For all the prowess that specters had, they all held a high sense of honor. He threw the only thing he had left, his short sword, and it found it's mark, slicing into the specter just as it turned around. A blast of magic shot out from it knocking him off his feet, but he had heard the stories, knowing he had killed the specter. The last thing he saw around the darkness that was closing his eyes were two bright blue orbs.

Elsa

Elsa saw the dive into the town square and she jumped out of the sleigh, running back to the town. She didn't see Corvino on the dragon, so she ran as fast as she could. She came into the square to see him get shot in the leg. The hooded figure that he was fighting flew with dizzying speed to kill the shooter, and she saw Corvino throw his blade at it. She hid behind the wall when a wave of magic burst out from it. All she saw where the figure had been was a pile of bones. She ran to Corvino, who had passed out. She looked down and saw the arrow had broken in the blast and that the wound was bleeding. She didn't know what to do. She tried to cover it up.

The drake's cry split the night, and she looked around. She went back to tending to the man when the wind whirled around her. She turned to see the beautiful green dragon land, and move close. The queen gasped and backed away, which made the dragon pause.

_Fear not, little queen. I will not harm you._ Elsa jumped, looking around for the voice that had just addressed her. She thought the voice was female. _You are hearing me through your mind. It is unusual for me to communicate with anyone else this way. Despite this there are a few factors to the situation that make it necessary, the most important of this being the health of my dear friend._ The dragon nodded her head at Corvino to emphasize the point.

"What can I do?" Elsa asked, looking at the man.

_First off, grab his blade. Then we need to get him _healing.

"I know of someone who might help," Elsa started as she retrieved the blade. "My sister's fiancee was raised by trolls. We can try to find them."

_I have heard of the healing abilities of trolls. I always hoped to see them in action, just not under these circumstances._ Elsa felt the dragon's worry. As she sheathed the blades.

"Then we will move swiftly, though we will have to get Kristoff and Anna."

_Or, they will find us._ The dragon crained her neck over to study the sleigh that was approaching.

"ELSA, DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN. YOU SCARED ME HALF TO-" Anna squeaked and went silent when she saw the dragon, who tried to move out of sight.

"Don't worry. She's with Corvino." Elsa explained that she had seen Corvino get on the dragon when the drake appeared. She was surprised when Kristoff confirmed her story. "Kristoff, we need to get him to your family."

Kristoff already went to giving Corvino first aid, but there was only so much the man could do. "I think you're right. Here, help me move him on the sleigh." The dragon growled, causing him to pause. "I'm sorry. We will do it your way."

"Kristoff was just trying to help. Please. Let us help him." Elsa pleaded with the dragon. _Let me help him,_ she thought.

The dragon turned to regard her. She moved close enough for Elsa to feel her hot breath. It took the queen a moment to realize the dragon was sniffing her. She had barely registered the thought when it shifted to meet Elsa's gaze with her own vivid green orbs. _Do what is necessary. I am only trusting you because you intrigue me. I will follow as soon as I attend to something._

Elsa wondered what the dragon meant by her intriguing the magnificient beast, and the response formed in her head as the dragon took off. _I'm curious to see more of the one who's occupied my companion's thoughts for the better part of the day._ Elsa blushed, not knowing how to react. Anna and Kristoff had put Corvino in the sleigh, and Elsa saw the three children that she had rescued from earlier. Anna did her best to tend to calm the children while Elsa tried to tend to the man. After two and a half years, she wasn't going to let him get away again. Not without a proper explaination.

**Ruh-Roh...Things aren't looking good for Corvino. He can't die, can he? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. As always, feel free to review, or shoot me a message.**


	5. A Queen and a Dragon

**SURPRISE! Double Feature these past two days. I had more inspiration as I finished, so I decided to give you another chapter. If it's close to any of the birthdays of my dear readers, then happy birthday. I apologize for trying to lead you all on like that. I should state by now that I own Corvino and Esmerelle. As a character, Corvino is especially dear to my heart.**

Elsa

The sleigh ride was quiet, save for the three children crying. Anna had the unfortunate duty of telling them that their father was gone. She had offered them a place in the castle. Elsa was concentrating on trying to keep Corvino stable. He hadn't moved since they put him on the sleigh in Redbrook, and Kristoff was trying to get Sven to move as fast as possible. When Elsa was convinced that there was nothing left she could do, she sat next to Corvino and let herself get lost in thought. Her mind was haunted by those deep steel-colored eyes that he possesed, and the stories he told.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a cough. Corvino stirred, and she moved to him to see what the problem was. A chilling thought crept into her head. He was coughing up blood.

With Anna's help, the two were able to sit Corvino up long enough for him to cough up a nasty sized glob of blood. When they laid him back down, he again remained motionless. The coughs themselves were weak, and Elsa knew that they were running out of time. She hoped that the dragon was near enough to "Hear" her thoughts.

_I am above you, and saw what happened. Is there no other way to expedite this?_ The dragon was anxious, and Elsa couldn't blame it. A new plan was forming in her head.

"Kristoff, stop. Pull to the side of the road." She said. The wind was already swirling again, as the dragon approached.

"But what about-" his question was cut off by the dragon landing in front of him

"You and Anna go to the castle. Anna, I need you to settle things long enough for Kristoff to come back and retrieve the two of us." Anna started arguing. "I want to stay with him. Anna, don't make me order you." There was hurt and concern in the eyes of both sisters, but Anna nodded.

The dragon instructed her how to properly mount, and Elsa took use of the saddle. _Mind the bundle of blankets._ Elsa noticed a bundle in front that was secured. She saw something with scales, but couldn't tell if it was another dragon or not, as it was wrapped up like a baby. The dragon then gingerly grabbed Corvino and took to the sky with no warning, which caused Elsa to yelp in surprise. She held on to a hold that was built into the saddle, and watched the ground shrink away. She then focused on the bundle. Elsa wasn't normally scared of heights, but this was different. She felt exposed.

_I'm sorry, your majesty, I forgot about the fact that this is probably your first flight._ Elsa gulped, trying to compose herself and found herself nodding. _Where is this place where your trolls are? All you need to do is focus on the location in your mind. As many details as you can._

The wind howled against her ears, and her fear was still there, but she focused on it. She saw the valley, and the trolls that were probably hiding rolled up like little boulders.

Elsa hung on tight and kept her eyes closed. She felt the twists and turns that the dragon made riding the winds, and got so lost in hanging on that she was surprised when it all stopped. She rased her head and looked around. She was in the valley, and had no idea of how fast they moved, or how much time had passed. She gingerly climbed off the dragon and looked around, hoping that she didn't have to fly again anytime soon. She could also swear she the dragon was chuckling at her.

"Bulda? Pabbie? Cliff? Anyone here?" She called out. She wondered why nobody greeted her. "Please we need your help. This man is injured." She motioned to where the dragon had set down Corvino, who wasn't moving.

The trolls responded to this, but gave the dragon a wide berth. Despite the severity of the situation, some still made a fuss about Elsa bringing a man on this visit. Several approached Corvino, but all stopped before looking at the dragon and freezing. The dragon began to grow impatient, as she let out a roar, silencing the crowd. An old looking troll approached. He looked at the dragon, addressing her. "The young ones can tell there's a bond but they don't understand. Forgive them, great one. I wish to help but before I do, I need two things: Your permission, and your trust. Do I have both?"

The dragon looked at him, and nodded. Pabbie then turned to the trolls and directed them to fetch various items. He began his work, but frowned as he used the magic to assess the injuries. "This man has been through a lot. Not all of it I can heal."

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"There is a great pain he carries in his heart. I can't understand what it is, but it has made his heart harder than any scale his companion can grow."

Elsa pondered the old troll's comments. This just added a new depth to the man. "What about him physically?" she asked tenatively.

Pabbie paused for a moment, and looked at the dragon before answering. "Just know that I can fix him, but I will have to manage my time and my skills. He is physically on the verge of death, but his willpower is keeping him alive. You didn't see, but in his state, he is dreaming. Of what, I am not at liberty to say."

Elsa nodded. "I do want to know the injuries he sustained physically though."

Pabbie sighed. He knew that the queen wouldn't drop the subject, so he began the list. "The arrowhead is still in his leg. That will need to be removed. He also has been stabbed completely through dangerously close to the bone. He has several broken ribs, one nearly punctured his lung. There is extensive internal bleeding."

Elsa bit her lip. She wondered how he was alive, but she remembered what her father once told her. Some people are just too stubborn to die. It seemed that Corvino was one of them. She couldn't fathom what it was that kept him alive. She sat down on a rock and watched Pabbie work.

She couldn't find a reason why he would stand up for a bunch of strangers. Let alone a place that he didn't seem to consider home. She felt a hand on her knee, and she saw Bulda, who had come over to check on her. "I'm sorry?"

"I was just asking if you were alright, dearie?" Elsa sighed. She didn't know how to answer.

"I don't know. There's so much I don't know about him. The big thing is I still have to figure out a way to defend Arendelle. As much as I try to get my head righted, I still can't help but think about him."

"Maybe it's love, it always pops up when you least expect it." Bulda smiled at her.

"No. At least I don't think so. He's the one who saved me, Bulda. Two and a half years ago, he broke me out of the dungeon. How do I thank him for something he doesn't seem to care about?" Elsa again looked over at Corvino, as Pabbie stepped back, leaning on his staff for support.

"If he didn't care, he wouldn't have risked it in the first place. When he wakes, you can ask him that yourself." Bulda looked behind the queen. "We can talk more at a later time, It appears that someone else would request your attention."

Elsa turned to see the dragon curled up behind her. The head was raised and looking at her, occasionally flitting the eyes to look at the trolls. The queen composed herself and stood. She didn't know if the dragon could sense her apprehension, but she wanted to know more about the magnificent creature and found herself walking over to it.

Esmerelle.

The dragon was assured that this was going to take time, so she began to get comfortable. She moved over to an empty space and curled up. Using her mouth, she gingerly grabbed the wyrmling that had been resting, and dispelled the magic that held it there. It was still sleeping, and she thanked her luck for that. She tucked it in her forelegs, and wrapped her wings around herself.

Reaching sensing out to observe, she felt a lot of concern from the trolls, as they scurried about the valley. She sensed that the woman had Corvino on her mind, but didn't delve deeper. She tried reaching out to the man who was everything to her, most importantly, her best friend. She found his mind swirling, but knew it was useless to try to communicate with him. Esmerelle hated feeling useless. Her heart weighed heavy, so she turned her thoughts inward.

She found herself staring at the queen. She could understand why Corvino at least thought her beautiful, even if he didn't outright admit it, an advantage of being able to read his mind. She was surprised when she wanted to know more about her. She knew about Corvino saving her. She also knew about the other women Corvino had known. All save two, for while the queen remained a mystery to her, the greater mystery was one that she hadn't even gotten the name from him. All the dragon had gathered from Corvino was that he loved that other woman, and that she was dead.

Pabbie wasn't wrong when he said Corvino's heart was hardened, but she knew that Corvino could be convinced to let people in. At least those that were patient enough to fight their way in.

She blinked when she saw the queen standing and walking over, and she again sensed a hint of fear. "I-I want to thank you for trusting me. I didn't know that Corvino had such a magnificent companion, but I do understand why he would keep you a secret. I apologize, I don't know the proper way to address a dragon, so you have me at a bit of a disadvantage."

_It's quite alright, your majesty. There aren't nearly enough in this world for such formalities to apply at this moment. Allow me to erase that disadvantage. My name is Esmerelle, and I am at your service until the idiot wakes up._

"That is a pretty name, Esmerelle. You can just call me Elsa. I am not in court, and you have no oaths bound to me. I am curious as to why you refer to Corvino as an idiot though," the queen responded with a raised eyebrow.

_That one has a knack for pushing his limits. I would need days to tell you how many times I've had to keep watch over him so he can tend to his wounds. He views life as a challenge to overcome without a goal, ever searching for the next battle._

"That makes some sense." The dragon saw Elsa's mind flash to the sight of Corvino in a splint, saving her. "At any rate, I should thank you for aiding in the evacuation of Redbrooke."

_I am sorry that we could not save it._

"We did our best, and casualties were kept to a minimum. I am relieved for that." she responded. "I was hoping you could tell me more about you and Corvino. There are questions I have that I would like to answer."

_I will do my best, but understand that there are some answers I will not be able to give._

"Did Corvino find you? How long have you two known each other? Do you know anything about his family? Where did he learn to fight like that?" Elsa began rattling off questions almost as fast as Esmerelle observed Anna doing earlier in the day.

_I have known Corvino for three years now. It is my understanding that he found my egg. He did everything he could to hatch me, and then more. He raised me until I was big enough to fend for myself. As for his family, I cannot say. I have barely met them, and those questions are better left for him. As for the fighting, He devoted his free time to practicing. He seemed to have gotten the most experience out of the Southern Isles. For a year, he dodged guards there._ The dragon let out a throaty chuckle._ He was quite reckless while we were there. I can sense your thoughts on his fighting at Redbrooke, if you can believe it, he was more savage in the Southern Isles._

"He raised you by himself? That must have been a challenge." the queen mused.

_He did fairly well for not fully knowing what he was doing. He always had a gift for telling stories and even singing some lullabies when needed. I must confess, it was after his last journey here that he found my name. He made his way into your libraries to learn more about the magic he needed to help me grow._

"How much do you remember from that trip?" Elsa's eyes lit up at the mention of the earlier trip that led to her first encounter with Corvino.

_Not much, I'm afraid. At the time, I could only communicate by conveying pictures. My mind was barely grasping words at the time. I just know that he made a point to rescue you, though I don't know why._ The dragon paused to reflect. All she remembered was that he seemed to have a sense of nobility at the time. One that seemed to get lost as the two traveled more. The dragon's thoughts were broken, as she felt a familiar consciousness touch her mind. The sound of coughing split the night, and the two looked at Corvino who had just sat up and was hunching over. For the first time since the battle, the dragon relaxed. Her companion was moving on his own again, and that quelled whatever concerns she had. _Go to him, Elsa. He knows to reach to me, but the idiot will probably try to start moving more than he should._

The queen nodded and started to walk over to the man. _Welcome back to the world of the living, little one. Your queen has some questions for you I'm sure._

Corvino

Memories flooded his mind, but his focus was kept on a set of deep blue eyes. After some time, he felt magic coursing through his body, but didn't know how long it lasted. Slowly, the pain returned. He awoke to the sensation of choking, and sat up. He coughed out a rather alarming-sized glob of blood. _Welcome back to the realm of the living, little one. Your queen has some questions for you, I'm sure._

Corvino settled for a mental chuckle. Had he tried to do it, it would have set new waves of pain through his body. _If this is living, you're free to kill me. This hurts. A lot._

The dragon's response made him smile. _You won't get rid of me that easily. For what it's worth, I am overjoyed to see you alive._

Corvino smiled and laid back down. That eased the pain a little, and he turned to regard the queen. "I see you ignored my comment about worying about me."

"I couldn't leave the man who's saved my life three times now to die." She smiled slightly. There was still worry on her face, but he also saw relief. "You seemed to put yourself through quite the physical trauma."

"I'm aware. I believe I am paying for it now." He just now realized how weak his voice was. He knew it was from the pain, but he tried to not let it show. "Well, I am greatful that you came back for me. I am in your debt it seems."

"How do you feel?" There was concern in her voice, and she was failing at hiding it.

"Like I probably should have died." He paused and remembered some of his past encounters before adding. "Again."

This drew a laugh from her, her eyes lit up. She then noticed him fixing his gaze on her, and she turned away blushing. "Umm, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions."

"I can't run away this time, so ask away."

"When you rescued me the first time, what did you mean by returning the favor?" His mind wandered back to the events in the past.

"When Esmerelle and I first entered Arendelle, we were lost in a sudden snowstorm. I later learned it was from you, but that's not important. Long story short, I was worried about me freezing and even more about Esmerelle freezing. I was lost in the blizzard, and I heard your voice. I followed it and found a cave to stay in." He paused. "Before you ask, I don't know why I chose to save you."

He knew the next question before she asked it. "Why did you leave so quickly after the Thaw?"

"I had places to go. My quest for knowledge led me to Arendelle and took me elsewhere. Besides, I don't consider myself a hero. Not by anyone's standards." He turned his gaze away from her.

"You have yet to prove yourself as anything else to me." The comment surprised him.

"You sure? A normal hero doesn't fight like I do."

"But the hero chooses why he fights. Even if he doesn't know the reasons." The retort was enough to make him look at her again. His steel-colored eyes kept contact with her vivid blue ones. "I would like to know a little more about you, though."

"Is this an interrogation?" He chuckled at his joke, or tried to. It turned into a cough, and again he sat up. He thanked his luck that nothing came out this time. He then noticed Elsa's face, not entirely getting his jest. "I'm sorry, bad joke."

"Well, do you have any family? I was hoping to ask you that, but I didn't get the chance to." She looked at him, studying his face. He got another reminder from Esmerelle to not get lost in those eyes.

"Well, there's my sister, She's partly the reason I was going through the area. Just north of the mountain I have a family friend who has been raising her for me. She's just turning sixteen this year. Her name is Calista. Caylee for short. I also have a brother, but I know not his fate." He paused. "I'd rather not talk about him."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Elsa looked away.

"You had no way of knowing." Corvino responded. He felt his head spinning again. Images swirled around in his head. He saw a cave he didn't recognize, an ancient dragon, and a clutch of dragon eggs. He shook the images out of his head to notice Elsa looking at him with concern. "My apologies, your highness. I fear I need more rest than I care to admit."

Elsa nodded. "Rest. We will talk more later." Corvino watched her walk away. He couldn't deny that she was pretty, but his mind was more occupied with what he thought was a sudden hallucination.

_That was no hallucination, little one. It was a vision. I had it too._ Esmerelle again reached out to him.

_I think it's time that Duncan and Caylee met up with us. _Corvino shared the thought as much as he mused it to himself. The next one crossed his mind and seemed to get a snort of agreement from the dragon. _Besides. It's past time Caylee imprinted herself to the wyrmling._

**Well that's it for this one. At least you know more about Corvino and that he will live. I also wanted to establish more of the relationship between Corvino and his dragon. Hope you all enjoyed, and as always feel free to review or message me. **


	6. Family Matters

**I will try to update once a week usually at the beginning of the week, Sunday or Monday. Hope you enjoy.**

Elsa

The valley was empty, save her and Corvino. She found herself walking to him. So many words she wanted to say but couldn't. Something inside her wanted to keep the moment quiet, as she looked into his face. His steel-colored eyes staring into her soul. She moved in to kiss him.

She was startled when she felt a rush of wind. Snapping upright, Elsa realized it was a dream, and Corvino was nearby, but sitting up at least. She looked and saw Esmerelle disappearing into the morning. "Where's she off to in such a hurry?"

"Morning to you too." Corvino's response was gruff, and he let loose a slew of curses at a troll healing him. "Watch what you're doing there. I swear a long sleep in a cave and I'd at least have the reserves to heal myself. To answer your question, she is going ahead to meet my sister and her guardian for me. Knowing Caylee, she'll want to see me as soon as she can."

"She's your sister, you can't fault her for that." Elsa was a bit dismayed at seeing this side of Corvino again so soon.

"I guess you're right. So dreamer, see some prince/king last night?" He looked over and shot his cocky smile.

"I-um-what?" She could feel her cheeks warming.

"Master Al'Draco, I would appreciate it if you didn't berate my family, especially considering we are trying to help you." Saved by Pabbie.

"I apologize, I guess I am just getting restless." It was true. As soon as Corvino's strength started returning, he was harassing the poor trolls left and right, the only things that kept him from moving was the bandage on his leg where the sword had run through, and the arrow wound. Elsa remembered that when they pulled the arrowhead out, Pabbie worked himself to exhaustion to at least stop the bleeding.

"Now then," the troll was interrupted as a sleigh came into the valley. "What now-Kristoff?"

Elsa looked over and saw Kristoff, Anna, and the children from the Redbrooke. "Why are you guys here?"

"Anna." Kristoff said flatly. Elsa knew that her sister would want to make sure that the man who came to their aid was healing.

"I just wanted to know how he was doing." Elsa saw Anna's eyes widen as another slew of cursing erupted. Anna's hands covered the ears of the youngest child. "That bad?"

"Believe it or not, that's an improvement from last night." the queen responded. She looked over to the trolls who were again tending to the man. "Pabbie, Can he be moved?"

The old troll looked up at her. "I suppose so, but it is up to him. Why do you ask?"

"I figured he would be more comfortable resting in the castle." Elsa didn't want to say out loud that she saw the troll's annoyance of the wanderer, but it was visable. She approached the man who had yet again, scared off another group.

"Would a change of location do you some good?" she asked.

The man swung his head around to meet her gaze. "What do you have in mind?"

"Anna and Kristoff stopped by on their way to the castle. We can get you a room and you can rest there and take care of yoursef as you see fit. Might be a little easier for you to deal with." She was trying to find a diplomatic way to settle him down and get him out of the trolls' hair.

"That would be sufficient. I do owe you more answers if last night's conversation was any indication." He then looked to Pabbie. "I do have a question for you, however. I have heard stories of troll mystics. They can see visions and explain them to those who have had visions themselves."

The troll nodded, and Corvino explained a vision of darkness, a cave, an ancient dragon, and a clutch of dragon eggs. He then paused noticing Elsa's confused look. "A Clutch is the term for a grouping of eggs. For example, when dogs have puppies, it's called a litter."

Pabbie closed his eyes. "The dragon. Did it see you?"

"I couldn't say for sure. I know that my dragon saw the same vision."

"Then it could be a message. The ancient dragon could be reaching out to you . You are aware of your bond to communicate with your friend. Try to use it to communicate with the ancient dragon I highly doubt doing so will be easy." Pabbie paused before continuing. "Doing so will most likely require an enormous amount of self-discipline. There may be records concerning an event like this, but I know not where they lie."

The man nodded, and Kristoff picked him up. "Oh and Pabbie, Don't mistake my being brusque for ungreatfulness. You saved my life. I will find a way to repay you."

The mystic moved to the sleigh and raised himself to eye-level with the man. "Learn to love again, child. There is pain in your heart that can only be healed by love."

With that, the troll dropped back to the ground, and Kristoff led the sleigh away. Elsa wondered what the troll was talking about, especially now that he seemed to get Corvino reflecting

Corvino

The troll's words took Corvino's mind back. Through countless skirmishes back to a long four years ago. He saw Jassiney burning, he remembered fighting both aggressors and defenders to escape with his sister and his friend. Burning smoke seemed to tingle his nose. Screams for help, cries of death, children sobbing all rang in his ears. The taste of blood was in his mouth, but his face remained strong. He had to for Caylee, who kept her head down. While she didn't make any noise, he could feel her trembling.

A voice melted all the images of that dark day away, and he blinked. "I'm sorry?" He looked up to see Elsa offering him water. "I'm fine, thank you."

"You seemed to get lost in your mind there." She handed the container back to Anna who gave it to the kids.

"Bad daydream." He didn't want to talk about it if he could avoid it.

"About what?" Corvino cursed mentally. "Home."

"Maybe if you talk about it, it will make you feel better?"

He shook his head, then nodded it at the children. "Not for present company. Let's just say that there's a fair chunk of my past that despite my trying to drink it away doesn't stay buried."

He noticed sleight disappointment in Elsa's face, but she didn't push the issue. Anna, however, had a new string of questions for him, and again, he had her stop and restart.

"Is that dragon yours? Like a pet of some sort?" Anna started.

Corvino felt a familiar presence in his head smile. _Welcome back, my friend. Back in time for interrogation round three. _ He heard the dragon chuckle in his head. "She's not a pet. She's my dearest friend in this world. I raised her from the egg."

"What is it like traveling with a dragon?" The children perked up at all the talk of dragons.

"Dangerous. What with the Southern Isles and Weselton having agents out to kill us provides excitement."

"How did you get the egg?" The question made him chuckle weakly.

"That is a story in itself. My sister is with a trusted friend who had been an attendant to the dragons. He was given two to give as he saw fit. One went to me, the other went to my brother."

"Where is your brother?" the question made him wince, but he answered.

"Out playing hero somewhere, I'm sure." The statement came out a little rougher than he cared to say. At least he thought so, judging the reactions. Anna had gone quiet and looked down. The children were looking amongst themselves confused, and Elsa was staring at him. "Touchy subject. My apologies. My brother and I are two different people, even if we were born the same day. I found an egg that hatched. That dragon will go to my sister."

"I have a question, if you'll indulge me." Elsa spoke up. "Will you work to restore the Knights?"

"Well, I haven't thought that far ahead. Especially given the circumstances. I'm sure that was my friend's intentions that we would, but for the forseeable future, no. Not when there are more pressing matters. Which reminds me. I pledge my services and that of my companion's to you, Queen Elsa. I should have told you about the army at Redbrooke, and I didn't, I owe you that much." The statement seemed to jolt the queen.

Corvino had more than expected the response. "You nor your companion are bound to me yet. I will not ask for your service unless I know that you are healed physically."

He was about to say something else when a blue glint shot by. _You brought them over didn't you, Esmerelle?_ There was a chuckle in his mind from the dragon.

_I assure you that I had absolutely nothing to do with the decision. That sleigh won't fit everyone, though._

At that moment, the sleigh stopped and Kristoff addressed a man. "Duncan, you two will have to walk back here. I am in no condition to move."

Elsa

She saw two travelers walking down the middle of the road, and a blue blur fly by. Kristoff started talking to them, but Corvino called to them. She saw an older man, with a beard snaking it's way down his chest. His clothes were bundled up, but his voice was warm and rich. Almost melodic.

"Corvino Al'Draco. I had a thought you'd be on the road." His warm brown eyes were cast on the other man. "I take full responsibility for this. Esmerelle said you were injured and harrassing trolls."

This drew a laugh from the man in the sleigh, as he moved an arm. "Everyone, this is Duncan. He's my oldest friend left, both for how long I know him, and his age." He pointed people as he introduced them. "Duncan, this is Kristoff Bjorgman, the reindeer is Sven, Anna, his bethrothed, the princess of Arendelle, Elsa, queen of Arendelle, and I'm afraid I didn't get names of the children."

"Alanah, Jason and Rebecca." Anna chimed in.

"Them. The young woman standing behind Duncan who can't make up her mind on if she wants to kill me or hug me is my sister Calista Al'Draco, and I'll take a hug, sis." A curly-haired girl who Elsa couldn't have thought was more than sixteen stepped over and hugged him. Her hair was brown, and her eyes were a vivid emerald color, but their intensity matched her brother's. "I take it Esmerelle has shown your present?"

The young woman responded excitedly. "I've already gone through the start of the imprinting. I can't thank you enough."

"Perhaps I can." Duncan held a flask up. "One of my special brews. Potion-wise, although I did bring your favorite along as well."

Corvino grabbed it and opened the flask. Right away, a noxious smell oozed from it causing everyone except Duncan and Corvino to cringe. Elsa nearly blushed when Corvino raised it to her, "Cheers." He then downed it, coughing afterwards. "Still goes down like a hot coal, I see."

"If it burns, it means it's working." The reply was curt. A lot similar to some of the responses Corvino had given. "My apologies, your highnesses. We made haste after Esmerelle had informed me of the situation. Master Al'Draco owes me quite a bit, as that was my last elixir of healing. He would do well to heed my advice when I try to teach it to him next time."

"In the mean time, we have a castle to get to, and a kingdom to prepare a defense for." Corvino's voice was already strengthening. "Hey, the trolls did a good job with the legs." He stood up, but stumbled as his left knee still didn't feel right. "One of them anyways."

"Corvino, you should sit back down," Elsa started, worry in her voice. He truly was the worst patient ever.

"No. We have dallied too long." He whistled, and Esmerelle appeared, along with-was that a baby dragon? "It's called a wyrmling, your highness. We need to inform your council what is going on and rally your troops. No offense to the reindeer or Master Bjorgman we'll move faster with Esmerelle." Elsa felt a knot form in her stomach as he confirmed her suspicions.

Duncan cleared his throat, offering a walking stick to Corvino, who surprisingly accepted rather happily. "Sis, I'd love to catch up, but we'll have tonight. Master Bjorgman's reindeer is quick, but flight is quicker."

"You have stories to tell me." Caylee's eyes bore into him, and Elsa could swear she saw Corvino's eyes go soft.

"Absolutely, kiddo. Just give me the important answer. What's the little tyke's name? Or have you not found one?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically, and Elsa couldn't help but giggle. She tried to keep it quiet, but Anna apperently heard, which caused her to giggle at the queen who blushed a little. The siblings with dragons seemed to not have paid any attention to it.

"Iizkulbrii. I'm going to call him Izzy for short." She responded. She then punched her brother's arm lightly. "Just make sure you'll be safe? I like having both brothers alive and sending me letters."

"We'll be fine." Corvino hobbled and climbed into his saddle. "Are you ready, your highness?"

Elsa gulped. Her first experience flying wasn't great, and she was apprehensive about doing it again. She took the hand he offered and climbed behind him, hugging his waist. "Travel swiftly, Kristoff. Make sure Master Duncan and Lady Al'Draco are brought in as royal guests. If it's ok with you, I would like to warn my guards about your friend." She directed the request at Caylee.

"It's for the best, sis. Wyrmlings can be terrors when they start teething." Esmerelle snorted in agreement.

"That's fine. Just make sure there's food. He's probably going to be hungry." The statement elicited giggles from the children whom were playing with the wyrmling in the sleigh.

"Then we'll be on our way. See you all this evening." Before Elsa could think, the emerald dragon took to the air, again causing her to yelp and tighten her grip around Corvino's waist. When the dragon laughed at her this time, however, her partner's laughter joined in.

Corvino.

Esmerelle took to the air, and he could swear the elegant queen let out a squeak when she did. He of course laughed. _She did this the first time as well. If you're going to mate her, you might want to work on _that.

The thought from Esmerelle cut off his laughter, and he shot a glare at the head, as it moved to make eye contact with him. Corvino was about to respond when he felt Elsa bury her head in his back. The dragon moved her head back forward again chuckling as she made her point.

Soon Arendelle's capital came into view, and Corvino landed the dragon right outside the gates. The guards looked at the dragon nervously, weapons readied, but lowered them when they saw the queen. Elsa gave the guards her word that the dragon was safe, and was to be treated like a royal guest. Corvino was the first to dismount, and he was happy that Duncan's healing elixir worked, as he could now move his leg, but it was still stiff at the knee. He helped Elsa down, and the guards gave the trio a royal escort through the town. Many came to look at the dragon, who almost filled the wide streets up to the castle.

Esmerelle's discomfort was the space, however and she let it known. _I can't stretch my wings, little one, out of fear that I might destroy a building. I've already seen the arches to the castle, I will not fit._

_ Just be patient. I'm sure Elsa has an idea, but I will ask._ She seemed to figure that the two were conversing, as she asked what was the matter. "Esmerelle's worried about unintentionally destroying buildings. She's kind a big if you haven't noticed." This drew a low growl from the dragon, aimed at him, of course but everyone but the queen and Corvino froze.

"There's a cliff on the other side of the castle. You will find plenty of room there. Any wildlife there is fair game, but there are the occasional farmers. I will send messengers to keep their eyes open for you." Corvino smiled a little, noticing how effectively Elsa handled the situation.

"I love you, Esmerelle." Corvino quipped. _Bite me._ The response was sarcastic, but enough to provide him an extent of the dragon's annoyance. _Keep me in on the important bits. If the day is going to be filled with you and the queen awkwardly trying to flirt I don't need to know every detail._

The dragon leapt up, and flew off, drawing all sorts of oohs and ahhs from the crowd that had gathered. Corvino ignored them and hid the quip, as the queen was now looking at him again. "Everything alright?"

"Just Esmerelle teasing me is all, nothing new." He left it at that.

Soon they entered the castle, and were met by servants. The queen ordered food for the two of them from a female maid. The maid looked like she had been there a long time. She then orderd a familiar face to round up her council. Kai kept their past encounter secret however, as he just left with a bow. The two of them sat in the dining room, and the maid (Named Gerda) came in with plates for the two of them. Both plates were full of some of the best food that Corvino had eaten in a long time. He was so engrossed in his food that he nearly missed the chuckle that came from Elsa across the table.

"I'm sorry. Do I have something on my face?" he grabbed a napkin and started cleaning his face. Or tried to as there was in fact nothing there.

"No, just amused at the excitement you have with the food." The queen was staring at him from across the table. Where he had dove into his plate, she was eating in a more orderly fashion.

_Eyes, little one._ The reminder rattled around his head. "Right. I owe you a tale. I don't talk to my brother because last time I did I was extremely jealous of him." The statement drew a look of surprise from the queen. "I figured I'd tell you now, instead of trying to pry time away from my sister."

Elsa chuckled a little. "She seems to love you very much."

"I'm the only family that she has left. Well, me and Thorin." He paused. He hadn't acutally used the name in a while, yet as family always did, the name sounded familiar. "First thing to know about Thorin is that he is big. He's a giant of a man, with the strength to boot. He has my hair, but my sister's eyes." Corvino ran a hand through his wavy black hair, scratching the back of his head slightly. "Except that his is probably a little shorter and more curly, like Caylee's. When we were kids, Thorin was dad's favorite, and why wasn't he. He was the one selected to eventually lead the Draconic Knights before Jassiney fell."

"What about your mother?" she asked, before taking a bite.

"Mom found me a place, but it was nowhere as glorious as the Draconic Knights. I learned to be an assassin. The underhand of the dragons. There's no record of the group because we never existed. I was a full-fledged assassin at the fall of Jassiney." Corvino sighed.

The queen blinked at the revelation, slightly surprised. "Are you going to fully tell me what happened that day?" She was trying to change the conversation, but he shook his head.

"There's something I need to clear up first." He paused from talking and eating to take a drink. "You were interested in where I learned my skills, that is it. Since Jassiney fell, I have tried to not follow that path, but apparently old habits die hard."

"I will remind you again, Corvino. The reason says more than the skills. That said, I do thank you for being honest with me about this aspect of your past. I can understand why you don't share it easily, if at all." He looked up and again saw those eyes. This time he couldn't help getting lost in them. The icy-blue orbs filled with caring and compassion, even after he had admitted to being a cold-blooded killer. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Corvino chuckled. "No. my mind was just wandering is all. Tell your cooks that this food is amazing by the way. It may be the long time on the road talking, but this is the best food I've had in a long time."

She smiled again. "So does that mean you're staying?"

"I gave you my word that Esmerelle and I would help. I intend to keep my promise."

**So we've met some of Corvino's family, but what's the deal with his brother? Is he alive? You'll just have to find out next time. At least you know the reason he has animosity towards "Thorin." ****As always thanks for reading, sorry if this one was a bit long. Feel free to leave a review or message me. Until next time, readers.**


	7. Unexpected Alliances

**Here it is, the next chapter. Shout out to WinterKnight2104, who's been quite the vocal fan. Also, happy belated Super Bowl Sunday to my american readers. **

Corvino

Corvino spent the rest of the day in the castle. Elsa gave him the grand tour, before having a tailor come and size him up for "Proper Attire" for the council meeting. She requested he be there to explain what Arendelle was up against and what he provided. The experience with the tailor proved to be annoying, as Corvino found himself being poked more often than not. The two were at words as to what Corvino should have been wearing, as Corvino wanted something that gave him more freedom of movement. The tailor wanted to show off the man's physical attributes. To add insult to injury, every so often he would hear a certain dragon laugh inside his head, as he knew that she wasn't going to miss this scene.

The only saving grace to him is that Elsa insisted on sitting in on the fitting. She sat on the other side of a dressing screen, where all she could see was his head. Again, the questions came coming, but this time it was more about him. Age, favorite season, color, etc. He was a few years older than Elsa, four at the most. He didn't really have a favorite season, and for certain draconic reasons, he was forced to say green, which made the queen laugh.

_I swear this is torture. Cruel and unusual punishment._ "OW! Watch where you're poking those damned things!" He had lost count of how many times he had thought or said any combination of those points.

_Just pay attention to your snow queen little one. She seems to have great interest in you. _Esmerelle sent the thought in his mind jokingly.

"I'm sorry, I had a dragon bombarding thoughts in my head. What did you say, your majesty?" He kept his manners in front of the tailors. The queen did her best to distract him, but Corvino was glad when it was over. He took a moment to get dressed, then stepped out from behind the screen. "Can we not do that again?"

"Believe me. You'll like the clothes when you get them," she replied. She was doing her best to hold her laugher in, but a few giggles escaped her.

"Really? It better be masterfully crafted, because if not I'm likely to burn them after the meeting." A thought entered his mind again. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to being poked once, let alone repeatedly."

"Just be patient, ok? The man is a savant when it comes to making clothes." The only thing softer than her tone was her face. He saw a look of understanding on the face of the queen and again found himself staring into her eyes. He was jolted by both Esmerelle teasing him, and Elsa catching him staring. "Something on your mind, boyo?"

Corvino cleared his throat and shuffled his feet to try to refocus. "Sorry. If it's alright, I would like to say that your eyes are very pretty." he felt his ears starting to burn, and was sure his face was starting to flush.

"It's quite alright, thank you." She took the compliment, but also seemed to blush.

As if to save both of them, Anna and Caylee burst in looking to ambush their respective siblings. Corvino excused himself to catch up with his sister, leaving the queen to hers.

Elsa

Elsa nearly jumped when Anna and Caylee burst in. She barely registered Corvino excusing himself, and she was left alone with her sister, who started teasing the queen about a potential moment.

"Anna, enough. It was just getting him fitted for proper dress attire." Her face was growing red.

"Sure. I saw how he was looking at you. Both of you were blushing." Anna was almost shouting it.

"Enough. Where's Kristoff?" Elsa desperately wanted to change the subject.

"He went to pick up Olaf. Remember we left him with Marshmallow?" her sister was giving a knowing glance, but obliged. "They'll be back tomorrow."

"Right. I've called for a special meeting with my council, and I'm having him provide his knowledge. I feel his traveling expiriences may provide insight." She saw Anna nod in agreement.

"Just make sure you don't get distracted by his gaze, dear sister." again, the queen blushed.

Corvino

Corvino and Caylee made it to the courtyard, where they found a bench and sat down. Caylee filled him in on their trip down, where Esmerelle flew them, the reason behind the name she chose for her dragon, and Duncan's annoyance of her brother's recklessness. She talked about her training, and how she had been able to hold her own against the older man and needed someone who was more expirienced to train her. She then turned the subject on him.

"Well, I was on my way in with Izzy when I saw the army. We were on our way to Redbrooke, when I saw a bandit group ambushing travelers who just so happened to be the queen and the princess. I did my thing, impressed them, and got a ride to Redbrooke where I told stories, then aided in the defense of the village."

"You forgot the part where you nearly killed yourself." The comment was barbed, but he knew why. Caylee didn't take leaving Jassiney well. She saw their mother get killed, and they never saw their father after that day.

"Well for the record, I didn't die. Supposedly I'm too stubborn to do so. At least that's what Esmerelle heard the trolls told the queen." the statement drew a laugh from the girl, as she looked across the courtyard.

"What were they like? The trolls?" he could tell her mind was lost in wonder.

"Rocky." He chuckled, noticing her shoot him a glare. "They are, however, rather insightful."

"Are they truly love experts?" He couldn't help but think that the question was a typical girl question.

"As I said, they're insightful." He knew he didn't answer the question, and she made him pay for it with her next question.

"So what's with you and the queen?" The question brought a familiar chuckle in his head. _Quiet you._

"What do you mean?" He tried to dodge around it, but she was having none of it.

"Come on, brother. There's more fireworks between you two than the midsummer festival." The comment elicited a sigh from Corvino, which only made his sister giggle more.

"When did you turn into such a hopeless romantic? Nevermind, don't answer that."

Caylee burst out in laughter. "Why don't you do something about that? You could use someone to try to keep you out of trouble. Or someone to save your butt when you get into it."

She wasn't wrong, but he knew she didn't know what happened to the last person he let get close. His thoughts turned inward to a day where he slaughtered countless faces. Again, the taste of blood filled his mouth, the smell of iron assualted his nose. He saw a mask of anger on his face, his steel eyes were cold. Devoid of any emotion. A different man, a different day. The day his innocence died. His mind ran through the numerous kills he racked up then. He did have help with that one, but that was the fight that seemingly ruined his life.

His mind started focusing on the giant shadow beside him, when Caylee's voice shook him out. "What?"

"You were spacing. The maid just came out and said that dinner was ready." she looked at him a little worried.

"Don't worry about me. Go. Eat. I had a big lunch." He watched his sister disappear down the hall and turned his thoughts inward again. There were a few big people he had to learn how to forgive, but none bigger than himself.

_You never told me what happened._ Esmerelle was prying, and Corvino thought for a moment before sharing the full events of that day. The dragon was silent for a few moments after the fact. _That sure does explain a lot. Who knows about this?_

_That's alive? Myself and Thorin. Duncan knows to an extent, unless Thorin told him everything. _He paused for a moment._ Even if Duncan knows he hasn't said anything, nor would he. There is a lot of blood on my hands._

_Do you think any of them were innocent? _The question hung in his mind, haunting him as he seriously discerned the answer.

_I can't possibly know the answer to that. I do know that there are times where I chose to kill when there were more peaceful options out. _Again, memories flooded back to him.

"You really should watch yourself when you converse with Esmerelle. You've been talking out loud again." the melodic voice pulled Corvino out of his thougts as he turned to regard Duncan.

"How much did you hear?" He motioned for the man to sit.

He sat down."I heard enough. I am aware of your past and the day that drove a wedge between you and Thorin. You shouldn't keep your thoughts in the past. That will only draw out regret."

Esmerelle shot a thought in Corvino's head as he himself was reminded of it. "I was told I had a vision."

"Weren't the trolls better suited to consult then me in this matter?" His bushy silver eyebrow raised quizzically.

"Well, the grand mystic said that it could have been a message from an ancient dragon. The vision was the ancient dragon, a clutch of eggs and a cave. I don't know where, I couldn't tell you more. Is it possible to communicate with other dragons over long distances?" He felt like he did when he first was learning to care for Esmerelle.

"Such cases are rare. If there's any substance to this, it's in the ruins of Jassiney, provided that it hasn't been plundered." The man took out a weather-beaten pipe and started filling it. "Your sister nearly crawled down your dragon's throat when she shared what had happened to you."

"She gave me the similar talk. Something about one brother being a noble selfless hero, and the other being an arrogant bastard with a deathwish. Can't imagine which one is which." the younger man chuckled.

"She's not wrong on both accounts. Although I am surprised you acted more like your brother in regards to Redbrooke. Anna and Kristoff both said that you were fighting in defense of the village, and rather valiantly." He lit the pipe and took a few puffs, while Corvino thought about it.

"I may be reckless, but I'm not heartless. You can thank Esmerelle for that." _Sure, blame that on the dragon._ The thought came into his head, as he knew that the dragon was paying attention to this conversation.

"The reasoning may be truer than you know." The dragon conveyed intrigue when the older man agreed with her partner. "They are wonderful creatures, but very kind. Thier reservations about bloodshed is what makes them different than the drakes. They are leaders, not tyrants."

"Duncan, I ran into a specter there." Corvino turned to him.

The older man's eyes focused on the glowing embers of his pipe for a few moments as he processed the statement. "This story I have to hear."

Corvino recounted the battle, of how he dropped the thing from it's mount, and how Esmerelle killed the drake and he killed it by using it's sense of honor. When he finished, he received a slap on the back of his head, something he hadn't received in a while. "You never challenge a specter on the ground. They're almost always faster."

"I'm more worried about why there was a specter in the first place. I never got to learn aerial combat."

"I know, but there weren't any ways to teach you how to do it. Not until now. Even then, I question if we should teach you two proper aerial combat. You've adapted yourself to whatever the situation called for it, and I doubt you're one to use lances." There was a twinkle in the old man's eye as he studied the younger man's face.

"I don't know. I'll look into it, but you're right. I may not be suited for it." Corvino paused and stared back into the courtyard. "It's good to see you, Duncan. Caylee seems to be getting bored of sparring with you, however."

This drew a chuckle from the other man. "A reason to stay around."

"Siding with Caylee?" The comment was barbed.

"Just suggesting you take it easy." Duncan stood up. "I am going to rest. I have had a long journey, and I don't travel like I used to. I suggest you do the same. The queen expects to use your knowledge in the council tomorrow."

Elsa

The next morning, she dressed and was down at breakfast. Everyone was there save Kristoff, Olaf, and Corvino. Olaf and Kristoff would arrive as the day went on, but Corvino was just in his room. Caylee volunteered to bring food to Corvino, but the queen declined. She was about to send Gerda to do so when He entered, wearing black finery, with a green dragon emblazoned on the left side of his chest. He looked refreshed, but he was still looking over the clothes that were made for him. He looked regal, almost enchanting. His wavy black hair was pulled back instead of falling around his shoulders, and he had cleaned his face, leaving a trimmed gotee. His face seemed brightened, and his eyes showed a measure of relaxation. As he looked himself over again, his face lighting up with that cocky smile that he seemed to always wear.

Anna cleared her throat drawing Elsa out of her staring with a slight blush. "Do you like the clothes?"

He looked up and flashed that smile. _Why must he look so good like that?_ "Yeah. This is really comfortable."

"I'm glad that you approve. The council will meet soon after breakfast." She resumed her spot at the table and continued her breakfast. He sat by his sister and Duncan, as she observed Caylee reading something. After a while, she would say something and Duncan would try to correct her. The process grew some curiousity within her. "What is that?"

"The language of the dragons, your highness," Duncan replied. "Caylee is learning it to help communicate with her dragon."

"Would it be possible to learn how to speak the language for someone like me?" She asked. She was curious about the language, and wanted to see if she could find a way to impress Esmerelle the next time that Corvino would call on the dragon.

"I can teach you over time, if you wish." She was surprised that Corvino was the one that had offered.

Breakfast passed as she observed Corvino continuing to coach his sister on the nuances. To her this just seemed like another side of the storyteller that she had met a few days ago.

When they finished, Corvino stood up, and followed the queen to the council chambers. She greeted each one of her council members personally, while he stood by a seat. Each member offered different perspectives to the queen on things from defense to economy to farming. They all sat, leaving her the lone person in the room standing.

"Gentlemen, We have a crisis on our hands. As you know by now, Redbrooke was attacked just about a week ago. We were able to evacuate, but we need to figure out some sort of defense. Redbrooke was attacked by goblins and other creatures I am not able to describe. Allow me to introduce Corvino Al'Draco, who aided in the defense of Redbrooke. He personally saved the life of myself and my sister." She motioned to the man who now stood up.

"I will tell you all now that I am from Jassiney, so I have studied what are likely to be in the ranks and how to defend." He was about to continue when the representative of the farmer's collective spoke.

"How can we trust what you say? Jassiney fell and I'm sure the city had this knowledge."

"Valid point, but when Jassiney fell there was more at play than just goblins and other fell creatures. There was a host of specters that rode the wind. If you value who you represent, you will pray that the one I killed in Redbrooke is the only one with this army." The other man paled and sat down. Corvino looked around the table as if to challenge anyone else to speak up. When nobody did, he continued. "Unfortunately this hoard has one thing on it's mind: War. The regular foot soldiers are goblins. They are mean, they are tough, and they are ugly. Riot control tactics work well, but go for kills as they will fight until incapacitated. Another tactic is to aim for any especially big and ugly ones as those are likely some sort of leader. The next main unit are the ogres. Living battering rams, these things will charge walls and gates. The last one I encountered broke through a house. If you have any soldiers who are exceptionally skilled with the bow, they will need to shoot for the eyes or the throat. There are specialty units but there weren't any that attacked Redbrooke."

"What if specters show up?" It was her guard-captain, Garrus. He was a crusty man who had viewed her father like a brother.

"Start praying for protection from whatever deity you seem fit. I do recommend the use of siege weapons in defensive positons, but against the specters, they tend to be easy targets. A note I picked up from Jassiney." Corvino shot a look to the man who challenged him.

He was about to continue when a messenger burst in. "Terribly sorry to interrupt, your highness, but our scouts have seen an army approaching the capital. They bear the banners of Weselton."

Elsa rose. "We'll continue this discussion at a later time. Garrus, you are with me. Corvino-" She didn't notice he had slipped out already.

Corvino

Corvino slipped away when he heard Weselton was on their way. He had to get his equipment and ride out to meet them with the queen. He got to his room quickly, and changed, affixing his weapons to their spots.

He met back with the queen in the courtyard. "I apologize for my disappearance, your majesty. I had to prepare myself. Do you mind if I borrowed a horse to keep the advantage I present hidden?"

He saw the look of relief on her face when he volunteered to ride out with her. "Of course, Master Al'Draco."

He was given a black horse, and he mounted it to the despair of Esmerelle in his head. _Don't worry, my friend. We'll be together soon._

_I would hate to be replaced by such a plebian creature._ The statement echoed in his head, and he caught himself chuckling, which brought Elsa's gaze on him with an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Just a friend getting jealous, your highness. Nothing more." the statement brought a soft giggle from her as the group rode out to the gates of the city.

The host from Weselton rode into view, and a bannerman flanked by two other people rode up flying a flag of truce. Elsa asked that Corvino and Garrus ride out with her, and he instinctively raised his hood. Not before he caught a look of curiousity from Elsa.

The short ride to meet the small party was filled with silence until Elsa saw a short, beady-eyed man with glasses and white hair. "I thought we told you to not return, duke."

"Your Highness, I apologize, as I must correct you. Lord Mickey Hoban. I was stripped of my dukehood after our last encounter." He dismounted and bowed to the queen, and his hair seemed to fall forward. Corvino had to stifle a chuckle when he realized it was a toupee.

"Why do you come to my doorstep with an army? Lord Hoban?" The little man snapped up and shot the trio in front of him a wary glance.

"I came to redeem myself. Up until recently, I had been working with King Consort Hans Westergaard, of Velkor. When he approached me, he claimed to have the blessing of the Southern Isles. He has allied himself and some men with the Witch-Queen of Velkor." Corvino's blood froze, as he stared at the man. Right away, his mind took him back to the day Jassiney fell. He had heard stories of her and that she had overseen the destruction of his home. He found himself dismounting, and walking over to the little man, lowering his hood. His eyes fixed on Hoban who recoiled slightly in fear. He was aware of who Corvino was, no doubt from Westergaard.

"Master Al'Draco? Is there a problem?" He heard Elsa ask.

"The Witch-Queen is a rather fancy tale." He turned to Elsa. "Such a tale needs confirmation. With your permission, I would like to have my friend confirm his story."

He saw the queen give him a quizzical look. "Do so without harming the former duke. I do have a reputation of hospitality to keep up."

He smiled, as Esmerelle was already on her way. Soon the dragon roared in, and Corvino found a rather sadistic smile cross his face while the dragon worked her way up behind her companion. The Lord from Weselton was shaking in his boots. "Funny thing about dragons, they are telepathic. Have an affinity for mind magic. So this is how it's going to work, mi'lord. Esmerelle here will reach out to you. Through her I will see what you show her. If you are hiding anything, she will press the issue. If you lie, she will roast you. Is that fair?"

The man swallowed and nodded, and Corvino closed his eyes. He he found himself connecting with the dragon's mind as the duke showed flashes of meeting with Hans, Hans with an army of men and goblins, and a woman who wore a dark crown. The face and posture seemed familiar to him, but he put the thought aside. He did see Hoban's decision process, before deciding to make the decision that brought him here. Content, Corvino opened his eyes. "Your Majesty, the man speaks the truth." An audible sigh came from the little man.

"Well then, Lord Hoban, why are you here.?" The queen looked at him with a regal, stern gaze.

"I wish to offer my services and the services of my men. I provided Hans's men with transport over here, and when I found what sorts of alliances were made, I pulled my men out. I may be greedy and hasty when it comes to judgement, but I cannot condone the actions he has chosen to do. If you should so choose, we will aid in the defense, or if you wish to have nothing to do with me and my men, we will leave." He again bowed.

"Guards and soldiers are two different things, your majesty." Garrus spoke up.

"Lord Hoban, I accept your help, but I do ask that you and your warleaders stay in the castle. You will initially be under supervision until such time where you prove your trust to us. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I will send word right away." He spoke to the bannarman who rode back to the army. Soon, a few more men rode up, filing behind the lord, who had climbed atop his mount. The group shot nervous looks at the dragon.

Elsa led the way back to the town, and Corvino heard a warning inside his head. _There is a being in the air currents speeding their way to us._

_There's no need to tell me about Iizkulbrii's hunting habits, my friend._ Corvino looked at his dearest friend.

_It is not the wyrmling._ The dragon was about to continue, when a new dragon cry reverberated across the landscape. Corvino followed the sound to find the source, a majestic gold dragon, approaching. His eyes widened in shock.

"Corvino, What is that?" Elsa asked, fear creeping into her voice. The gold dragon landed, and a huge chisled man dismounted. He had to have been a couple heads shorter than an ogre, standing at about seven feet tall but looked like he had the muscle to go toe to toe with one. His hair was as dark as Corvino's, but curly. His eyes seemed to shine like emeralds. Most unnerving of all, was the man was staring right at Corvino, meeting the smaller man's gaze and intensity.

"That, your highness, is my brother."

**The former duke of Weselton back? And now Thorin has shown up? What could this mean for our heroes? You'll have to find out next week. Bonus points, I put a couple references in here, want to see if you pick up on them. As always, feel free to review or message me about the story or just shoot me a message saying hi. I might even give you a shout-out.**


	8. An Al'Draco Family Reunion

**Here you guys go, Hope you enjoy it. There will be a little more fluff in this one, don't worry as the action will return soon. Also, I've had a couple people liken this to Eragon and the Inheritance cycle. I can't deny that some part of me probably used a bit of the Dragon Riders, but I have created all the lore and the details. Despite this, there are probably similarities. I'm just making the note now to acknowledge the comparison which isn't intentional. Enjoy.**

Elsa

The giant reached over his shoulders and hefted a huge blade into a ready stance. He then stuck it in the ground in front of him. She could tell the two were brothers, as they both had that same fire in their eyes. She saw pain in the giant's face, but knew it was different than Corvino. The other man was a soldier, and he carried the weight of those he led to battle, never to return.

Corvino in turn, undid something behind his back, and she saw a belt of knives fall to the ground at his feet. The boot knives were the next to go before he drew his twin blades, and stabbed them in the ground in a similar fashion as his brother. The two then stepped closer. They said something in a language she didn't recognize, but thoughts formed in her mind as she figued Esmerelle was translating. She made eye contact with the dragon and nodded her thanks

"Funny I should find you here, brother." The bigger man spoke. She again thanked the dragon for the translation.

"I wasn't aware you were showing." The scene was rather comical, as Corvino himself was a little taller than average, but it was clear that his brother was towering over him. Still, there was an air of mutual respect between the two.

"Ooh boy. I wondered when this was going to happen." Elsa turned to see Duncan standing beside her. Caylee stood on his other side. "Whatever happens, just know that the boys have to figure this out themselves."

Elsa turned to focus on the brothers, and Esmerelle filled her head with recent war stories that the taller man was telling, and how his fight had brought him here. Without warning, the two brothers started throwing punches. Elsa yelped as she found herself being restrained. She looked down and saw Duncan's arm around her, and his other arm around Caylee. "Remember what I said."

Caylee started protesting, but Elsa relaxed. As she watched the two, she saw that neither of them were landing many blows, but instead working through a routine. They were saying something, but Esmerelle had cut off the translation. When she pressed, the dragon just remarked that the conversation between the two was private. She obviously wasn't getting anything out of the dragon, so the queen just sat, waited till the two finished, and wondered what was going on.

Corvino

The two launched into a brawl, but since the two were evenly matched in their skills, their blows rarely amounted to anything. As they fought, the conversation worked its way through the past. Corvino hated bringing this up, but it needed to be said.

"You shouldn't have taken that punishment for me." The words hissed out in the draconic language.

"You know as well as I do that you weren't in your right mind that day." The retort was true, but it didn't solve anything. What Thorin brought up first, hurt more. "Father made that call, not me. Although I would have done it anyways. I know what she meant to you, and I know why you did what you did. The punishment of living with your actions was harsh enough."

"I killed a tyrant that day." Corvino growled the response.

"As well as fifty diplomats, one hundred honor guards, and countless grunt soldiers." the body count made Corvino pause. The blow from his brother launched the smaller man across the field. Instead of springing up like his instincts told him to, he raised himself to his hands and knees and punched the ground. Again, he tasted the blood, smelt iron. He heard dying screams, felt viscious liquid spatter on his body. His mind walked him back to the battle. Countless faces he saw, but the only one he could concentrate on was the face of King Marus staring blankely at him, a dagger between his eyes. The cold stare of death.

A huge hand rested on his shoulder, and he brushed it off. Corvino stood up to face his brother, and then the two of them embraced. The smaller man was sure he felt his back cracking in the process.

"It's good to see you, Thorin." Corvino felt a wave of happiness rush over him.

"It's good to see you to, Corvino." Thorin's baritone voice was soft, albiet momentarily. "Now, where are you hiding my sister from me?"

The two broke apart to see Caylee running over. She tackled into the bigger man, crying happy tears through her laughter. Corvino collected himself and let the two catch up. He heard a soft feminine clearing of someone's throat behind him, and turned to regard the source. His mind stumbled as he realized it was Elsa. "I, Uh, sorry you had to see that."

"Well, it is certainly an interesting way to greet family." The queen seemed amused by the events so far. The mask of amusement turned to embarrassment when Thorin spoke up.

"Corvino, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" He strode over, carrying Caylee on his back.

"This, my dear brother, is Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Corvino said with a semi-official tone. This caused the bigger man to pause, and drop to a knee. "Your Highness, allow me to introduce the last member of my family, Thorin Al'Draco."

"Your Highness, forgive me. I didn't know-" Corvino burst out in laughter, drawing a look that held a mix of intrigue and annoyance from the queen.

"Rise, Master Al'Draco. You owe me no alliegence, or are bound by any oath. I presume you'll want to stay with your family?"

The giant of a man stood up. "If it's no trouble, Your Highness. If your city is housing my brother and sister, I will stay with them."

"The royal palace has plenty of guest rooms. It won't be any trouble. As for your companion, however." The queen left the statement in the air, and Corvino spun around to see Esmerelle and the new dragon having their own mental conversation.

"Oh. Manners. Right." Thorin led the group back over to the dragons. "Allow me to introduce you to Corypheus."

Elsa

Elsa saw the new dragon seem to raise itself to full posture. She wondered what this dragon would sound like. Esmerelle always seemed to sound warm and caring. When the voice came into her mind, it was regal, majestic.

_Greetings, Your Highness. In case Thorin hasn't done so yet, I thank you for your hospitality on behalf of both of us._

"You are more than welcome. Esmerelle has already found a spot on the cliffs to the east of the kingdom. I apologize, the castle isn't big enough to accommodate one of you, let alone both."

_Knowing that we at least have safe haven is hospitality enough. Very few are quick to aid a dragon. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll have my sister show me the way. _The two dragons flew off towards the cliffs, leaving Elsa to wonder about the comment.

"I may or may not have forgotten to mention that when Duncan escaped Jassiney, he had two eggs from the clutch of a dragon. That technically makes them siblings." Corvino sighed.

"I see." She studied his face. There was more to the entire story, but she wasn't going to press it now. "Unless there are anymore distractions, I'd like to get back to planning a defense of my kingdom?"

"Right. Tell you what, I'll help get Thorin settled, and the both of us will be in to go over every thing. Might want to give Lord Hoban and his advisors some time to change and clean themselves." As fast as the quip came out, the trio started toward the palace. Elsa found the wit to be infuriating at this moment, as she walked back over to the welcoming party, who were shooting looks at each other.

"Garrus, have your men take their weapons. They are our guests and will be treated as such, but until Lord Hoban proves his worth I can't allow him or his men to wear weapons in my palace." The guard captain obliged, and the rest of the morning went about with her being mired in procedural matters.

After lunch, she re-convened the meeting with Corvino and Thorin standing this time. Thorin was the one who spoke first. "What do we have in regards to the militia?"

"Lord Hoban has eight-hundred trained soldiers." Garrus spoke up. "We also have two hundred in the city guard. Most towns have the city guard to defend them."

The statement brought a look of dismay to the bigger man's face. He looked at Corvino, who shrugged nonchalantly. "How many cities are there to defend?"

The man from the farmer's collective answered. "Seven towns, all with farming families in the areas."

"Food stores." Elsa heard Corvino's voice split the air and looked over. She saw his mind was turnign as he stared at the map. "Are they stocked?"

"Relatively. For the most part we have replenished what was used during the summer freeze two and a half years ago." The man gave his answer diplomatically, but Elsa couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

"Do we have allies we can call upon?" Thorin interjected again.

"We have familial relations with Corona. I could send an emmisary there asking for help." Elsa studied the man's face. The brothers were both studying the map.

That was when Lord Hoban spoke up. I Might be able to drum up support from Weselton. If I go explain your case to the Merchant's guild, we could have an army here in a matter of a few months."

"We don't have a few months." Thorin spoke again. The huge man started pacing. Corvino said a few words to him in the draconic language, and only got a curt reply.

"The problem is that this army has a straight shot in. My count and my brother's count differ, and not in the good way. Numbers are easily, ten to one? Maybe twenty." Corvino seemed to lose himself in thought again, as he started chewing on a small carved piece of wood that he had pulled from his pocket.

Elsa studied the map. Corvino was right. The invading army would only need to take the main road into Arendelle and be led to the front gate. "What about the other villages?" She began to worry about protecting those she could.

"Perhaps we can evaluate them. Is this map correct?" Thorin again regarded the map. Elsa nodded and he continued. "Then we can write off these two towns here, and here. Evacuate them, send the guards to other villages that could use the support." The two towns he pointed out were closest to Redbrooke.

"This one. Frostwillow. We should evacuate it as well." Corvino pointed to a third.

"Frostwillow is one of the few that has a fully constructed wall," Gallus protested.

"Frostwillow has rat-tunnels running underneath it. I'm sorry bad term and old habits. Tunnels that are barely wide enough for a man to walk through and sneak in. If a small group were to infiltrate it, then there is a chance they will open the gate and you loose the town soon after." The tone was a little cold, but he had a point.

"Your Highness?" Gallus looked to her.

"Do it. Where would you recommend sending the support troops to, Captain?"

"Well, the mines at Arken are well fortified. We can send the guards from Frostwillow there. We can have the other two support Ponta, and Moen. Moen is on a hill, that can be used to advantage. Ponta is on the fjord."

"We also should evacuate those towns of those unable to fight. Children. Elderly. Cripple." Corvino had spoken again. His steel eyes were looking at her this time, and she agreed. She forced herself to pull her gaze from him, trying to stay focused on the more important matter.

"I will help set up defenses here, provided the good captain will work with me." Hoban seemed dwarfed by everyone present, especially Thorin, but his grey eyes were alit with something going on in his head. "I actually was in the military at a younger point in my time. I might be able to offer pointers."

Elsa looked at Garrus, who nodded. "Pull all non-guard personnel out of the villages. Lord Hoban, you will work with Captain Garrus. For the rest of you, aid in the transport of civilians. Bring them here. Masters Al'Draco, I wish to have a word with the two of you. This meeting is adjourned."

The room cleared out, leaving the queen and the brothers. "I have a request of you two, if it would be possible. I would like to learn how to defend myself."

Thorin was the first to speak up. "Corvino is probably the best one to do so, milady. Even with training weapons, my blows tend to hurt quite a bit."

Corvino shot his brother a look that she recognized. It was a full glare. "I guess I can do so, but if I am doing this, I would like to work with Anna and Kristoff too. Trying to train just you would seem unfair to you, but also to them. I know they care about you and would want you to not worry about them."

Elsa thought for a moment and nodded. Corvnio began walking out of the room, but paused. "Oh. One more thing. You're going to want regular hot baths, because I will garuntee that you will be hurting after the training sessions." With that, he turned and left the queen to ponder what she got herself into.

Corvino

Corvino spent the evening catching his brother up on the highlights of the past four years. The first trip to Arendelle drew some intrigue, but Thorin didn't pursue it. There was surprise in the bigger man's face when Corvino mentioned his time in the Southern Isles. The surprise was more the lack of killing that Corvino had done, that he didn't believe the former assassin.

"You're bullshitting. I know you, you couldn't have been that deep in enemy territory and not kill anyone."

"I swear on our mother's grave, I did not directly kill anyone there. Some may have died from their wounds, but I didn't want to set that example for Esmerelle. Besides, if I did, I would have been run out of town a lot sooner." Corvino then went on about his trips to the deserts in the west, where Esmerelle grew, and finding the egg that would eventually hatch into Iizkulbrii. Then he filled Thorin on the events of the events leading up to where they were now.

"So what about you, War stories?" His brother sighed.

"Well, as you know, I led the resistance to re-take Jassiney. That went well for a couple years, until Westergaard showed. Corvino, the game has changed. The two formed an unholy alliance. They wiped out my entire group." He stared off in the courtyard, and Corvino knew why. Thorin was often considered one of the best leaders due to his obvious care about the troops he led. He counted his guilt by the fallen, carrying the weight of everyone he fought beside that had died. "Those that weren't dead or injured have run and hid elsewhere."

"They will be avenged. Between you, me and Caylee, we will have plenty of hell to give them." Corvino flatly let the statement hang in the air.

"The scary thing is that for a couple days I swear I was so depressed I hallucinated." Noticing Corvino's insquisitive look, Thorin started talking about sitting at a campfire and having a strange dream of a cave, an ancient dragon, and eggs. He noticed the smaller man's stare. "What?"

"How long ago did you have this vision?" Corvino's mind was working again, and it showed.

"A couple days ago, why?" Thorin's look was one of confusion. "Corypheus had the same dream."

"It was a vision. Esmerelle and I had the same one. Thorin, the game has changed again. These are the tools to rebuild Jassiney." Excitement crept into his voice.

"How do we find them? Jassiney is held by the enemy." Thorin inquired.

"I can go back and slip into the place. This was practically made for me to handle it. Once things get settled here, we can head up there and try to get to the Hall of Tales."

"I suppose. You're right though. We shouldn't lose sight of what is in front of us. Speaking of which, you and the queen?" The giant cocked an eyebrow as he looked down on his twin.

"First Caylee, now you. What is with you two?" Corvino rolled his eyes.

"Caylee picked up on it? Oh this one must be special. I know I haven't seen anything in you since before-" Thorin was cut off.

"Don't say it. Honestly, I don't see how my romances are any of your damn business. Besides, may I remind you of the fact that she's a bloody queen?" His voice was raising. "I'll thank you to keep the other dead and buried where that damned memory belongs." He stood and left his brother in stunned silence. Wandering into the courtyard, he started feeling confined. He climbed the wall, and found his way to the roof of the palace, where the open air began to clear his mind.

Elsa

She was about to tell the brothers about dinner when she observed the outburst. She followed the smaller man, and watched him make his way to the roof. Not just any roof, as she observed him. _Is he climbing the tower?_ Sure enough, Corvino had climbed the tower and was up on the roof. She went to the tower, and ascended it from the inside. Finding a window at the top, she used her ice powers to make a staircase outside to the roof. She paused. Was she really going to do this? Her heart wanted to try to comfort the man, but her mind rationalized that the man came here to escape. A pang ran through her, wondering if she was part of what he was escaping, but the queen pushed the thought out of her head.

Elsa began to slowly ascend the staircase, and found Corvino facing away from her, seeming to look at the fjord. He seemed to not notice her, but spoke up when she turned to leave.

"How much of that did you see or hear?" His voice was quiet, devoid of any emotion.

"A bit." She didn't know what to say. "I saw the outburst, but I don't know why it happened."

"It's probably too petty to talk about it, but my brother and sister seem to think we have something going between us." He moved over to look at her. His steel eyes showed something she hadn't seen before in him. The pain was there, but she could almost swear that there was defeat in his eyes.

She blushed slightly when she realized she was staring again. "Why would you say that?"

"Here we are trying to defend Arendelle from a war, and people are talking about us." He looked like he was staring off in thought. "I know you're going to ask about the outburst, but I can't share that yet. I'm still learning to accept it myself. A different day, and a darker place. Here may be trying, but I'm surrounded by family and people who are extending friendship."

"For what it's worth, I am happy to have you and your brother here." she stayed on the steps. She was slowly becoming aware of how high up the two were.

Corvino let a soft chuckle escape. "If you want, you can return to the castle, Elsa. I tend to seek out higher points to clear my head. I'm not sure you share my affinity for heights." Her heart seemed to flutter when she heard him say his name. Before she comprehended what was happening, she found herself sitting next to him, moving slowly, but stepping out of her comfort zone all the same. She had seen the view from inside the tower, but this was different. A slight tilt of the head down, she could see the entire city, and a slight raise of the head up she could see stars for miles.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I wasn't able to take advantage of the view my last time here for obvious reasons, but I knew that if I were to ever return, this would be a spot to visit."

"I may have to build a balcony up here. I can see why you find it so peaceful, but it seems a little dangerous." She kept her head fixed on the sky to keep from looking down.

"If you so choose. I can get up here fine either way." The comment was nonchalant, and she remembered how he had climbed up here with ease.

"How did you learn to climb like that in the first place? Did they teach you?" she felt foolish asking the questions.

"Yes. The stonework with the tower made it relatively easy. Getting onto the roof was tricky, due to having little to no areas to support myself. I didn't mind the challenge though. I started doing this when Esmerelle was a wyrmling. It gave her practice learning to fly. The climbing on my own that is." There was a growling noise, and Elsa looked at her stomach. She saw out of the corner of her eyes Corvino doing the same. "Well, I think it's best we both head down for dinner. We've probably missed it by now, but I'm all for raiding the kitchen." There was that cocky grin again, and she found herself taking the arm he offered as he helped her off the roof and down the stairs.

**Elsa's hoping it will happen, everyone else is seeing it happen, when will Corvino actually wise up to what's really going on between our queen and our favorite dashing rogue with a checkered past? Speaking of his past, why did he kill Marus? (Besides obvious plot reasons of course.) As always, feel free to review and or message me. Until next week.**


	9. Stories and Admissions

**Hello Readers! Here's the new chapter, a little later than I would have hoped, but here it is regardless.**

Elsa

Within the first few days, they were handling more refugees. At the same time, reports were coming in detailing towns that were holding their own. After a few weeks, the refugees stopped coming into Arendelle's capital. Elsa wished she could do more, but the routine was rather straightforward. Mornings would start with council meetings after breakfast that would last until lunch. Everyone would try to figure out stratagies as to how to defend her country.

A light lunch would follow, which Corvino, Thorin and Caylee, always seemed to skip. They were found in the courtyard, training. Elsa, Anna and Kristoff would always seem to walk up to the siblings as they were finishing. Watching Corvino and Thorin spar was a treat, but when all three practiced, it was nothing short of extraordinary. Thorin moved surprisingly quick for a big man, but Caylee always seemed faster. Corvino's movements seemed like blurs.

The queen was glad that when he started training the royal family, He took care explaining techniques. He had Kristoff use a massive axe, teaching him to use his size and strength. He taught the snow queen the finer points of dueling and precision, which if used correctly, would give her chances to use her magic. Anna was a challenge. She didn't seem co-ordinated enough to dual wield, nor was she quick enough to keep up with the dueling style. In the end, the princess was taught what their teacher termed "Sword and Board." Brandishing a sword in her right hand, and a shield in her left, He taught her to be patient, and chose her tactics.

Anna did her best, but when she switched off sparring between Elsa and Kristoff, the fiery-haired princess always seemed to be flustered, for when she made her move, she would get blocked and receive a wooden sword either smacking against her body, or tapping her head and neck. As Corvino predicted, all three of them were sore after the ordeal, taking a warm bath before dinner.

Today was different, as when the royal family approached Corvino, He wasn't sparring. In stead, he was sitting in the middle of the courtyard, almost meditating. Three packages sat in front of him, and Elsa began to wonder what the man was up to. Since he started training them, he had kept the topics off of him, which made the man harder to read. You never quite knew what he was going to do next.

Corvino

Corvino did his best to get used to staying in one place. It was easier now that he was reunited with his family, but he knew he was accustomed to the road for too long. He also found it hard to physically be away from Esmerelle for so long, as the two had been traveling together.

Once a week, he and Thorin would go visit their dragons and enjoy a good flight. They often flew to find the invading army, causing disruptions when they could. Two brothers employing hit and run tactics. Corvino noted that the last time the brothers did this, the army was getting closer. When he returned from that trip, he had armor and weapons made for the royal family, overseeing the process to his satisfaction.

Today he was going to bump them to the real deal, and he was going to throw a twist in. He heard the trio approach. "In front of me, you'll find three packages, as well as weapons. Put on the armor, and return here." He stood after they left, and began to prepare. Kristoff was the first to return, admiring a suit of chainmail that he wore. He began to look over a battleaxe that laid in front of him, taking a few test swings.

Anna was next to appear. She looked a little clunky, as the armor was built for defense. Observing her growth, she found a way to defend herself against major attacks, but precision was another matter. The plate armor seemed to make her look almost as wide as Kristoff, who chuckled at her.

Elsa was the next to approach. Corvino asked for a fine suit of chainmail, but it was obvious she didn't wear the full armor. Donning the chain shirt, she had done something to it. The material looked blue rather than the normal silver. His only answer to it was magic.

He caught himself staring at her again, and was brought out of it by someone clearing their throat behind him. "Caylee, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Don't make it so easy, brother." His sister sat on a nearby bench to watch. She knew what was coming. He shot the girl a look, but turned his attention back to the royal family.

"Take hold of your weapons. Familiarize yourself with them. They're much different than the wooden weapons you've been practicing with." He produced several pads "Put these on them. They will cushion the blows, and keep from piercing armors or skin."

He took a moment to help Kristoff, who seemed to struggle with the design for his axe. The girls did better, just having to slide the pads over the blades. He then drew his own blades and slid pads on them. "As I said this morning, the army is getting close. I want to give you all expirience with live steel."

Elsa

She was surprised when he drew his blades. "As I said this morning,-" She tuned him out. She noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal traveling gear, instead wearing a new cloak draped over his shoulders. Underneath it was his armor, which looked different. She couldn't put a finger on it, but when he removed the cloak she saw that the leather had been cleaned. His arms were exposed, but he didn't seem to mind the cold. His arms weren't exactly bulging, but there was some muscle definition there. She also saw strange markings and pictures seemingly drawn onto (_is that actually in?_) his skin on both arms leading all the way up to his shoulders.

"Elsa? You going to come back to reality?" His voice drew her out and she blushed slightly. It intensified when the queen observed the man having his cocky smile on his face. "Now. The three of you discuss a strategy, and when you think you have one, attack me as a group."

Kristoff turned his back to the smaller man, putting his arms around his fiancee and his future sister-in-law in a huddle. "What if you distracted him, Anna can be my defense. I''ll use my power."

"You've seen his speed, Thorin can't land a substantial hit on him. How can you?" Anna looked at him with inquisitively.

"Kristoff's right. What if I came in on the right, and you two in on the left. We'll see what happens. Don't underestimate him though. He is fast." The queen shot a look over to Corvino, who stood with both blades dipping slightly. His head was fixed on the ground in front of him, and his eyes were closed. "Are we ready?"

The other two nodded. Anna and Kristoff moved forward, and the three charged as a group. Corvino's head shot up, and he locked the blades together. "I'm going to apologize now, I may not fight fair."

The group charged at him, Elsa moving first, using speed and grace. He parried, effortlessly, striking her blade downward. His elbow, caught her jaw, or would have if she hadn't moved. He didn't have time to register the miss, as he jumped back from a swing from Kristoff. He launched a counter attack, but Anna's shield seemed to catch all of his blows. Elsa dared to take a moment to allow herself to be surprised that they were holding their own, but noted that Kristoff and Anna seemed to compliment each other.

The blades seperated, as the lone man elected to go for ambidexterity. He pressed an attack at the pair, and when the queen went to aid them, he shot a foot out and tripped her. Instead of rising to meet Kristoff's blow, he rolled, and struck Anna behind her knee. Elsa winced as her sister yelped and dropped to a knee. He then pressed the attack on Kristoff, and the queen went to aid. Anna soon joined, and they found themselves backing the man to a wall.

Instead of yielding, Corvino smiled. He leapt out of the way from Kristoff's axe, and the royal ice master received a glancing blow to the head. Elsa knew that somehow, the smaller man controlled the hit to do so. The blades found their way again to the queen, who blocked them. He bowled her over, rolling through Anna, who fell down seemingly over him. When Elsa rose, he stood behind the group, blades at the ready.

"I will say this now, I highly doubt you'll ever have to face anyone as acrobatic as that. Still, not bad for the first day of live steel." He again, locked the blades together and took a ready stance, one blade behind him. Elsa giggled when she saw a ball of snow on the end of the blade. Two stick arms protruded from the ball, waving around in an awkward manner.

"Oh look. I've been impaled." The response caused the man to curse and look around with a confused look, and the royal family and Caylee to burst out into laughter. Olaf's body was on the tip of his blade, and he was in pieces behind the man, who helped put the snowman back togther.

"I think that's enough for today. Rest up you guys." He removed the pads from his blades, put them in their sheaths and walked away into the castle.

Corvino

Oh how his reflexes ached. He knew he was holding back, but he still was satisfied to see that the training was coming along nicely. His body was itching for a real battle, and he knew it. Corvino's instincts wanted desperately to cut loose, to draw blood, and leave none standing. The man couldn't help but remind himself that old habits die hard.

His mind wandered back to the training session. Part of him wanted to thank the weird little snowman, part of him hated it. He was introduced to Olaf as soon as the snowman returned to the castle, but the man found him to be an odd character. First thing Corvino was asked upon meeting him was for a hug, which the now tied down wanderer obliged only after some ribbing from his sister.

Training sessions blended again, and he found himself walking amongst his memories. Training to be an assassin in Jassiney was a challenge, one that he had overcome. Every day, he had heard the word "Dead" countless times during sparring matches finding a blade in a vital area somewhere. As much as he tried, he couldn't just abandon that aspect of his life. It was ingrained in him.

"That was quite the show." Duncan pulled him out of his thoughts. He felt Esmerelle enter his mind as well as the smell of burning tobacco permeated the area.

"I got caried away, I'm sure." He took a drink of water.

"A little, but you did what you were supposed to do. They at least know the basics of being able to defend themselves." The old man's voice was calm, making it resonate in a more melodic fashion. "That is not, however, what I came to talk about. I've been wondering what you and your brother plan to do"

"Ultimately we have to enter the Hall of Tales. If there was a second cave, it would be there."

"You never considered something that sensitive would be in the vault?" the statement hung in the air with the smoke rings that the older man was blowing. "That is sensitive information."

Corvino pondered the statement for a bit. "True, but if the council made that decision, it would be in the records."

"You will only know by getting there. Word of advice, young one. Don't keep your mind in the past, especially yours. The past is there for us to learn from it, but never at the expense of the here and now." The old man walked away, leaving Corvino another nugget of information to process.

_He's right, you know. _The familiar voice echoed in his head. _I know you're working to try to come to terms with your past, but I think you've brooded far too long. Your queen is getting extra antsy._

_She's not my queen. I am not sworn to her. _His thought growled inside his head.

_You've spent a lot of time with her, and she seems to occupy your mind when you're not brooding. Am I wrong in saying that you would like to add her to your "Conquests?"_

_It's not like that. There are matters of principles and stuff like that. You know, she has to marry royalty? Besides, I'm not about to bring someone new into my entire life._

_You may not have a choice in the matter, little one. I've caught you sharing details you haven't shared in a long time._

Corvino reflected on some of the conversations he held with Elsa. He told the queen about his training as an assassin, occasional details about his family, and before he knew it, he was finding that the dragon was right. _I hate it when you do this._

_One of the many services I offer. Oh, let's not forget the amount of times I've saved your hide._

_You're keeping count?_

_No, but it's funny to get you thinking. Or did you think I was just an overgrown lizard?_

_Aren't you supposed to be bonding with your brother?_

_Aren't you supposed to be preparing for a battle? _Corvino sighed. He knew where Esmerelle got her wit from, and he hated himself for it. He mentally cursed._ Language, little one._

_And to think that I dreamed about talking to dragons. I didn't know back then that they could be such a pain. _He heard soft laughter, but thought it was in his mind.

_If you're worn out from the conversation, you could always return to your surroundings. Might not be a bad idea, as you seem to have an observer._ Corvino hopped up and looked around, finding Elsa standing in the doorway. Corvino shot a message back, informing the dragon that the conversation wasn't over. _It never is._

Elsa

She walked in on him talking to Esmerelle again. She had been around enough to pick up on it. She wondered what it would be like to have someone in her head in way that Corvino had with Esmerelle. She heard him start talk out loud, and found herself chuckling softly. She blushed when she realized he probably had heard her.

"I'm sorry, Elsa, I didn't see you there. I hope I didn't keep you waiting." He seemed to stumble slightly, and he looked off in a direction with an annoyed look, most likely shooting off a remark to his dragon.

"Not long." She smiled, and found herself giggling at his reaction. "I was actually hoping to talk. It seems that whenever I get a chance to talk to you, you are busy or we're training."

"Is her majesty getting offended that the resident dashing rougue isn't spending time doting on her?" His familiar grin crossed his face, and she found her face growing red. "It appears that she is."

The queen felt flummoxed. "I-no-er-" She was making a fool of herself now. Her insides felt like jelly. _How does he make me feel like this and why?_

"In all seriousness, what can I do for you?" His smile turned into a disarming one.

_You can stop making me feel like I have butterflies in my stomach._ "I was just making sure you didn't get lost within yourself. I-I've been in that position before." _Smooth, Elsa. Spill your guts out._

"I have quite a few people to make sure I will be fine." He shot a knowing glance at her, but left the subject alone. "I was actually considering finding a drink. Not that fancy wine you have here, something a little stronger."

"We could look in the wine cellar to see what else we have." She wasnt sure that adding alcohol was going to help her cause, but she was pressured into this by Anna. She was going to tell him how she felt by the end of the night.

"It's worth a look." She led him quietly to the the wine cellar where the two looked through the different barrels in stock. Corvino whistled in surprise, when he grabbed a dusty old bottle. "What is that?"

"This, is something I haven't seen since Jassiney fell. It's old man Cavro's rum. This bottle is as old as I am, by the looks of it. Rumrunners would follow the Cardiff river from Jassiney to Frostwillow, and from there to the rest of the world. Problem was that the rum itself was potent enough to get banned in Arendelle." He opened the bottle, and took a sniff, then a small swig. "Oooh. That takes me back. Back when I was going through my training, me and a few others would steal bottles from the stores and sit on the rooftops of Jassiney drinking the nights away."

"Well, Arendelle isn't Jassiney, but if you wanted to emulate the setting you could." Elsa was hoping he would pick a private spot where it would just be the two of them.

Corvino replaced the cap on the bottle and led her to the tower, where the two sat on the roof. When they got there, He again pulled out the bottle and took a swig before passing it to her. She took a sniff and found a sweet aroma teasing her nose before drinking. The liquid went down smooth, but had a harsh aftertaste which must have cause her to make a face because the man laughed softly. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you it has a bite."

"That's fine, it's just not what I'm used to." Her head was spinning slightly, and she knew it was the drink. _I have to be careful with this, otherwise I'm going to humiliate myself._

"You know, technically you're not the first queen I've actually come to know." The comment drew a look of intrigue from the queen. She waited for him to take another swig before he continued. "Early on, I worked as a deckhand on a ship called the _Siren's Call._ The captain fancied herself a pirate queen."

"That must have been exciting." Elsa took another small drink but was hooked into the story, as he described adventures of smuggling, piracy, even one where the ship transported slaves whom were freed by the captain. Then the story turned to the captain herself, a tanned woman who was rather flirtatious. Elsa found herself getting jealous as he described the exotic woman to her.

"She definitely was a looker. She broke her number one rule for me." He chuckled.

"What was that?" by this time, her mind was fuzzy.

"She never slept with any of the crew on her ship. Technically I wasn't a crew member when we first did spend a night together, but I guess I was good enough for her to break the rule while I was." He stared off, seemingly lost in memories again, and Elsa started feeling insecure. _A pirate queen with adventure? How do I compete with that? Who else has he seen in this world that would make me seem like an ordinary person?_ "What happened?"

"We had to go our seperate ways once Esmerelle started getting to a noticable size. Plus it was hard to keep the ship stocked with enough food for a growing dragon." He took another drink. She wondered how this wasn't affecting him. "She also didn't want to be tied down. Loved the freedom of the sea. To answer your other question, you don't have to compete with her because, well, I'm not the same person I was back then."

She thought she felt her face burn, but found herself looking into his steel eyes. "Y-you heard all that?" He nodded. _Way to go Elsa._ He was about to say something when she cut him off. "I-I have something I want to say. I've grown to at least care about you over the past month that I've known you. If possible, I would like to know you more."

Corvino

The statement left him slightly stunned. _Did that just happen? Does she actually have feelings for me? _

_I thought you weren't going to let anyone new in close._ The message from Esmerelle was dripping with sarcasm and ignored.

"I-I can't promise anything. That's not to say that the thought hasn't occurred to me on a few occasions." His mind was racing, or trying to. He forgot how potent the rum was. "I think it's time to call it a night before-"

He was cut off when her eyes closed and her lips met his. The kiss was soft, tenative, hesitant. He found his hand cradling her head as he kissed back. When they pulled apart, she smiled at him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." her face was completely red, and if the heat in his ears were any indication, so was his.

"No, it's ok." he cleared his throat, trying to brush away the booze-soaked cobwebs. "I enjoyed it."

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like another?" her voice was turning husky.

"I think that the next one should just be a good-night kiss. I generally have a thing regarding alcohol and what kissing can lead to." He got up, and pocketed the bottle.

Elsa, on the other hand was having trouble. Instincts took over, and he scooped her up in his arms, which elicited a giggle from the snow queen. "I think you've had enough, Elsa. I'm taking you to your room."

He made his way through the halls, before finally getting to her room. By the time he got there, the queen was asleep in his arms. He carefully worked his way in, and set her on the bed. Something built up inside of him, causing him to kiss her forehead before he could comprehend what he did. As he exited the room, he could swear he saw a smile on Elsa's face.

**Aww, our first Corvino/Elsa moment. I admit that this is quite a bit of fluff, but don't worry. Reality will strike at our heroes soon enough, and I've got quite the few twists planned. As always, feel free to review and or message me. Until next time, readers!**


	10. Growth

**Welcome back. I am sorry that it took me a week longer to get this up. I have started a new job recently and am still adjusting to it. I will still try to update once a week.**

Corvino

He wandered through the halls, leaving the queen to her sleep. His mind was swimming, for more reasons than just the alcohol. Elsa confessed feelings to him.

He was about to grab the bottle when a thought entered his mind. _After that one, I'm going to advise against trying to drink yourself to your limit. I don't know if she'll remember it, but I will and I'll remind you of it. Not to mention you are an absolute pain when hungover. To everyone._

He knew Esmerelle was right, so he went to his room. Something was different about that kiss. He hadn't felt like this in a long while. He knew there were feelings that he had, but he didn't know to what extent. _Now's not exactly the best time to try to nurture a relationship_.

_Explain to me how this differs from your conquests._

_I actually respect her._ The man's response to the dragon was partly due to the queen's status, but he knew that it was mostly from how Elsa had treated him.

_You didn't respect the others?_

_I respected the captain, and one other. As you can tell, I don't keep in contact with one and the other is dead._ The pirate wouldn't have lasted, but his first love could have. Dwelling on the thoughts proved to lull him to sleep, however, as the dragon soon observed the man snoring.

Elsa

The morning hurt. The chirping of the birds hurt. The light hurt. Elsa's head pounded as she arose. She tried to remember last night, but all she could get was a slight tingling sensation on her lips and a fuzzy vision of her kissing Corvino. Slowly, the queen got dressed and made her way down for breakfast. Her head pounded as everyone else's conversations seemed to pound in her head.

She felt a tapping on her shoulder. She looked up and Duncan seemed to have a small glass for her. "Drink this with food." There was a knowing smile on his face. She wondered how many times the man had the remedy ready for someone else.

That someone else shuffled his way in. Corvino wasn't entirely himself, but he was functioning. He sat down across from the queen and started eating. He kept quiet until she drank the glass that he seemed to recognize.

"Sleep well, your majesty?" He looked at everyone else at the other end of the table, but they all seemed to leave the two to themselves.

"I don't know. I don't remember." The response was quiet, as she didn't know how to answer or question what happened, but she knew that she woke up alone, and in her own bed.

"Well, I did the gentlemanly thing and brought you to your own bed. You don't have as much of a tolerance for the stuff as I do." He poured a glass of water and downed it quickly.

"You have my thanks then. I didn't realize it would hit me so hard." She wondered if they talked about anything, but Corvino changed the subject.

"Esmerelle and Corypheus are both monitoring the approaching army, which could be here within the day. I know Arendelle is well guarded, but we should look at potentially keeping those that can't fight on ships and enough crew for protection and operation. Maybe instruct them to make for Corona."

"We're not going to lose this city." She bored her ice-blue eyes into him, and he shrugged.

"I'm just considering worst-case scenario. That's why I'm here. That and to help in the battle"

Elsa looked at her plate, and sighed. "Do you think we can win?"

"I think there's a good chance, but there's still a lot about the situation that we don't know."

The door to the dining hall opened and Kai came in with captain Garrus. "Your Highness, there's a small gathering of rocks outside that weren't there before."

"I'm sorry, You're bothering me about rocks?" Elsa looked over to Kristoff. "Kristoff, were you bringing your family here?"

"Not that I was aware of." He got up and started toward the gates, and Elsa followed. The trolls reacted when Kristoff showed up, and surrounded him. Pabbie, however made his way to the queen.

"Greetings, Queen Elsa. I am here to offer our healing prowess to your cause." He bowed.

"Thank you, Pabbie. I hope we don't need it." Her voice was regal, and she led the trolls to the palace. Throughout the streets, people again were alight with wonder about the new piece of legend that came to life.

Kristoff made sure that his family was comfortable in the castle, and Elsa went to her daily meeting.

Corvino was rather quiet, offering his opinions when he was asked. He studied the map and she could tell that he was getting the insight of a dragon. "Thankfully, we have the fjord open as an out." Several council members nodded.

"Fine. We'll do it. Garrus, speak with the captains. Everyone else, return to your positions." Elsa had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She did notice that the brothers disappeared, and decided to let the pair have their time, choosing to help Kristoff's family get settled.

Corvino

His plan was simple enough to follow, but his mind was occupied elsewhere. Hoban was especially timid today. After the meeting adjourned, Corvino went to follow the former duke, but was stopped by Thorin.

"Whatever it is, it can wait." He tried to move around his brother, but the bigger man stepped in front of him.

"I've seen that look. You have passed judgement on a man before he has even had a chance to commit a crime." The smaller man sighed. Corvino hoped he wasn't that obvious.

"I can't describe it, it's just a gut feeling." He shot. "I guess old habits really do die hard."

"That or you're too used to being on the run that you're jittery now. Kaylee told me about yesterday. How you were itching for the fight." Thorin leaned against the wall, knowing his brother wouldn't run off.

"I'm not one for peacetime. Not now. Maybe in the future." the smaller man leaned against the opposite wall and stared blankly. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Perhaps you've forgotten how to settle down. Kaylee says you've found someone to help with that." Corvino made a face.

"Again? Look. I don't know what's going to happen. What will happen, will happen." He shrugged it off.

"Don't dodge around it. You have something you can build around yourself here." Corvino raised his gaze to meet his brother's.

"And leave you to face destiny alone?"

"Destiny?" It was Thorin's turn to make a face. "Jassiney is lost. We have to accept that."

"No. Absolutely not." Corvino felt some sembelance of pride. "This needs to happen. We have to bring back glory to our home."

"How can we do that? The enemy holds the stronghold."

"I don't believe this. You. The premier soldier, of all people. Losing faith. When the hell did we switch our roles?"

Thorin stared off. "Why are you looking towards the fight? You've never cared about things before."

"Because I've changed. It's been four years since Jassiney fell. I've changed since then. We both have. Hell, I'm still changing. Something I've taken to heart lately is a statement I stumbled across. Regardless of how, a hero chooses why they fight." The words escaped Corvino's mouth before his mind registered them. "You think I planned to save the queen from bandits? Granted I would probably have done it to impress a beautiful woman in any case, but you know what I mean. You think I planned to lead an army to her doorstep? I stayed and fought for Redbrooke because of that reason."

"It wasn't you the army was after." Thorin's voice dropped. "It was me. They wanted to cut the head off the proverbial snake."

"Yet another reason for me to fight. Nobody's allowed to try to kill you but me." Another automatic response, this one drawing a laugh from the bigger man. "Brother, you're right. I do have something I can build around myself here. That said, I can't let my only brother charge off on some damned foolish crusade. Not without me by his side."

For added effect, Corvino stepped over and clapped a hand on Thorin's shoulder, before turning and walking down the hall. He paused, and turned back. "You're right. I'm itching to fight, but it's because I have a chance to change the world around me." With that, the reformed assassin continued down the hall, leaving Thorin in his thoughts.

_Quite the speech there, little one. Well spoken and concise._

_Just leave the remarks at that, Esmerelle._

Elsa

Elsa followed voices. She overheard the conversation between the two brothers and her heart leapt knowing that she was referenced. It soared when she recognized him referencing one of their first conversations. Corvino didn't deny anything either, which really seemed to put her head in the clouds. She was grounded when Corvino finished the conversation. "You're right. I'm itching to fight, but it's because I have a chance to change the world around me."

She watched him continue down the hall, leaving Thorin standing there alone. The near-giant spoke up. "I suppose you're rubbing off on him."

Elsa looked around, before realizing he was talking to her. "What do you mean?"

"I don't entirely know, but this is not the man that my sister described in her letters. Even Duncan's noticing a change." The revelation stunned the queen. The situation between her and Corvino seemed to be playing out like a fairy tale, and she wasn't sure she wanted that. She wanted a story like he told, not the ones everyone knew. Thorin seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry. With Corvino around, there will never be a dull moment."

"How so?" Elsa mused. She seemed to like the idea of having Corvino around.

"Well, he's made quite the list of enemies. There's also the fact that he's always been, well, mischevious. Getting into all sorts of trouble." He paused. "He'll be able to handle that. Still, the entire situation is curious."

"How so?" the queen shot the man an inquisitive look.

"You. Corvino acts different around you than he normally seems to do. It's not just around you, I'm actively seeing him change."

"How can you know that he hasn't changed because of the dragon?" Elsa tried to remain calm, but her heart was racing. _Who changes for someone they just met?_

"There are certain things that go beyond that. I don't know. Maybe it's just me being hopeful for my brother. His past still haunts him, and if you really are that important to him, he'll explain it. It's not my place. Good Day, my lady." The giant left the queen to her thoughts.

Corvino

_You have been brooding quite long enough. _The statement roared in his head.

_I am not brooding. Just trying to refocus. I never expected to be giving Thorin a rousing speech. _He looked to the direction of the cliffs, knowing that somewhere there the dragon was returning his gaze. _He's not wrong, I am getting restless._

_As am I, but one shouldn't look for combat. Especially when it has a tendency to find you._

Corvino wondered what the dragon meant by that, but war horns began to bellow an announcement. _Esmerelle?_

_Corypheus and I are already en route. _Satisfied with the statement, Corvino ran through the castle, finding the war council gathering at the gates of the palace. Thorin, Caylee and Duncan were there as were Anna and Kristoff in their armor.

"So. This is it." Elsa was nervous. He knew she wasn't raised around combat.

"Trust the plan. If we have to change it, one of the dragons will inform you." He was about to continue when a roar split the air. He looked back and saw a drake in flight. No specter.

"We can take it." Thorin spoke, but more roars cut in. More drakes. "Uh-oh."

"We can still handle it." He felt the urge for battle rising. He was ready. "Elsa, if the fighting comes here, remember your training. The soldiers we face will move to kill regardless of what rank or gender you are."

The queen turned to look at him and nodded. There was apprehension in her eyes. "Be careful out there."

"Aye." He looked back at his brother. "Today is a great day for another person to die."

"Well spoken, brother." The big man ran along the wall and jumped, drawing his greatsword. The massive golden form of Corypheus carried him into the sky.

Elsa

Thorin's exit was more in the fashion of Corvino, but it was impressive. In the mean time, She saw a fire in Corvino's eyes. She felt something in her hands, and when she opened it, she saw a necklace. Something she had seen him wear. It looked like a small tooth. "I will come back for this." He flashed his cocky smile, and left in the same fashion as his brother, Esmerelle carrying him away to to battle.

**Ooh boy. Battle time. What's going to come of this? You'll have to wait until next time. As always, feel free to review or message me and let me know what you think.**


	11. External Battles

**Welcome back. I'm not going to waste too much time here.**

Corvino

The thrill came back to him. He cut loose. He had been dropped into the thick of battle, while Esmerelle and Corypheus took on the drakes. Thorin was with him to start, but very quickly the smaller man forged into the masses on his own. The carnage left behind was nothing compared to the carnage in front of him. The army comprising of men and goblins pushed each other to try to take on this new enemy in their ranks, only to find themselves cut down savagely by his blades.

Stab Right, parry left, thrust behind, slash ahead. The sound of battle was music to him, and he was the primary instrument. The man was no stranger to dealing death, but such was the death he dealt that crimson and black rivulets ran the length of his blades. His steel eyes were cold. Unflinching. Uncaring. Amidst all the death that he caused, Corvino Al' Draco never felt more alive.

Elsa

She saw Corvino drop into the thick of battle, and tried to pick him out. Losing sight of him, she listened to Garrus explain the battle formations. The queen did her best to pay attention, due to the fact that it was common knowledge that there were more battles to come. She felt a pang of guilt seeing the armies clash, knowing that men were going to die to protect her. Elsa wished she could do something about it.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and a melodic voice accompanied it. "Remember the losses, your highness. Don't fear them. They fight for more than just their queen."

She turned to Duncan, who was standing in older-looking ceremonial armor. A bastard sword rested at his hip. "What do you mean?"

"Many fight for their very livelihood and their families. That alone is more inspiration than what you can provide." He looked out and studied the battlefield. "Impressive, aren't they? The dragons I mean."

Elsa studied the ariel combat between the two dragons and several drakes. "I guess. I wouldn't necessarily want an up-close view."

The old man laughed. "Wise words, your highness."

Elsa looked over to Anna, who couldn't seem to watch. Corvino had told them what would happen in battle, but nothing he could tell them could have held a candle to this. Kristoff stood beside his betrothed, holding her. The snow queen felt a sleight pang of jealousy, and her heart wanted someone to comfort her. In a similar fashion. The cerulean eyes turned back to the battlefield, wondering if her icy stare met a particular set of steel-colored orbs.

Corvino

The man sheathed his blades and made a charge to a group of ogres that were lining up charges at the wall. He shouted to get their attention, and drew his bow. Dodging a brute's club, the man ran up the arm and danced on it's shoulders avoiding futile attempts to grab him.

With the makeshift mount distracted, he took potshots at the other ogres who were now swinging their clubs at him. One narrowly missed him and hit the ogre he stood on. He jumped to the ground, avoiding the falling hulk, and landed with a rather grisly view of the oaf's caved in skull. He replaced the bow over his left shoulder and drew knives. The agility was key here as the man tricked the brutes into hitting each other when they missed him. The process was painstakingly slow to him. Even against the hoarde, He was so much faster. One of the remaining two landed a body blow on his ally, before swinging around and missing Corvino. The man dodged between the thing's legs and when it stupidly looked between it's legs, it received a dagger to the throat.

Corvino didn't stay to admire his work, however. He ran on to the next group that he saw.

Elsa

All of a sudden, she saw a lone figure dart to the ogres. "That'll be Corvino," Caylee responded in a dry tone. "The arrogant bastard with a deathwish."

The comment brought a smile to the queen's face, as the group on the wall observed the ogres suddenly attacking themselves, before the last one fell, and Corvino disappeared into the battle. Their attention on the battle was broken when a runner came up to the wall

"My Lady. My apologies. There are reports of ships on the Fjord. They are flying Weselton Colors." Elsa furrowed her brow. They hadn't called for help, why were they here?

"I'll go figure out the situation, Your Highness," Garrus stated, and with a click of his heels, he was off.

Elsa tried to figure out what was going on, and failed to get a reason. That was when a loud bang eminated from over the lake, and a section of the docks exploded. They were under attack from the Fjord!

Her mind raced trying to figure out what to do. She was so occupied that she didn't aknowledge a thought in her mind that was not hers. _We will lead the drakes there._

Esmerelle

The first full battle experience for the dragon was something new. Corypheus had told her that nerves were normal, but there was a knot in her stomach due to the anticipation. The drakes seemed to be a match when the dragons worked to single one out. The process was slow, but effective. She heard the cannon blast and right away, Corypheus was telling her the new plan.

Getting the drakes to follow them to the fjord towards the ships was simple enough. Dealing with both the drakes and the ships were a challenge. The two dragons split up long enough for Corypheus to pick up Thorin, who was dropped on the deck of one of the ships.

Esmerelle tried to reach out to Corvino, but only got a strange sensation. The man seemed different. Feral. Unthinking. She reached out to Elsa, feeling a sense of fear and tried to calm her down but got nothing.

The dragon couldn't dwell on the feelings for long as she had to refocus her attention back to the drakes. Insulting them proved to get them to chase her relentlessly, which caused an idea to form in the dragon's head. With that in mind, she dive-bombed the nearest ship.

Elsa

The queen watched the dragons fly toward the ships, Corypheus stopping to pick up Thorin. Her concentration was broken when a clatter sounded behind her. Enemy troops were making their way up the wall. Elsa swallowed hard and drew her blade. Anna and Kristoff prepped themselves, as did Caylee and Duncan. The troops burst up and Duncan and Caylee both charged. Elsa stared in amazement seeing the old man move. Anna and Kristoff soon joined in, but Elsa froze in fear. These weren't goblins, these were men.

One of them charged her and she reacted, shooting out a spike of ice at the man. It did more than just impale him, it had so much force it carried him into the wall. The queen's insides seemed to turn to mush as she saw the light leave the man's eyes and face. The next sight she saw was one that truly scared her. Hans Westergaard was making his way up the stairs toward them.

He tripped Caylee, who had charged him and watched the girl tumble down the stairs. Kristoff was the next as both him and Anna advanced. He shouldered Anna into the wall knocking her unconscious. Producing a wicked looking mace, he dodged Kristoff long enough to land a few crunching blows on the bigger man.

Duncan cleared his throat. Hans looked at the old man and smiled. The two engaged in combat, with a flurry of blows and sparks. All but one of the blows seemed to miss their mark. One particularly nasty one landed with a crunch on one of Duncan's hands, causing him to drop the blade. Hans picked it up used the mace to knock the man against the wall, and pinned Duncan to it with his own blade. Elsa tried to run, but found herself stuck in place. That was when she noticed Hans with an odd looking piece of wood.

Corvino

He almost forgot how this felt. Corvino Al'Draco was a whirlwind of death, and he was taking a sick pleasure from it. The consolation was that the enemy was starting to turn back. The battle was in the late stages.

That didn't stop him from killing those he could. He ran up on a squad of men. Before they could react, one was howling in pain from a broken knee. Another found it's throat slashed. The other eight turned to regard their allies, two of them losing their heads in the process. One started stepping backwards as the other five charged. Corvino made short work of them, then put the howling one out of it's misery with a swift stomp to the skull. The lone man stood there, unable to move in sheer terror.

That was until Corvino took a step toward him. The man turned to run, but found that he had been grabbed around the shoulders. He cried out, begging for mercy. He tried to scream surrenders, but felt pressure against his windpipe, and a gutteral growl from the Corvino. The man whimpered and prayed for salvation. The response he got was his neck snapped

Corvino stood around studying the carnage when a voice caught his attention. "I knew you were good, Corvino. I didn't expect you to be that good." Corvino turned to regard the voice and saw a woman clad in black armor. A jeweled tiara rested atop her head. "I would have thought all those quiet years you would have been out of practice. The Shadow would be proud."

The voice carried his mind back four years ago to a frightened woman. His partner. His lover. "Melina."

"Died the day you abandoned her. I have re-forged myself to be stronger." The woman spoke.

"I didn't abandon you. I went to get help." The man's mind wandered through the process that lead him to that fateful day.

"You left me in the hands of a grief-stricken and insane King Marus. Do you know what he did to me?" There was anger in her voice.

"I tried to help, Melina. I really did. I nearly went mad myself when I thought you had died."

"It was Marus's son who helped nurse me back to health. He dragged me off the battlefield. He thought he would have been happy with me, but he didn't know that the man I loved had all but condemned me."

Corvino's head shot up and looked at the woman. "I went to get the help of the only man I trusted. You know as well as I do that if any of us were found we were going to be killed. The Shadow never sent anyone on rescue missions. I went and had to bring Thorin into it because I wasn't going to try it alone."

"Marus tortured me. Physically and emotionally. He even raped me. All that is on your hands." The woman's gaze turned cold.

Corvino was again flooded with memories. He remembered scouting the camp, and in the process attracting guards. He remembered the two of them running away before catching his foot in a rabbit hole in the dark, spraining his ankle. He remembered splitting up, and getting away. "If it's any consolation, Marus was the first to die when I came back."

"When you came back, I was already dead. It matters not now. I will break you. When I do, you will become something beautiful and deadly. Just like me. Oh. Might want to check up on your sister. She could do with some training from me. Good bye, Corvino. I will see you back home." She disappeared, leaving the man to his thoughts.

Corvino turned and raced back towards the castle, one word escaping his mouth in a growl. "Esmerelle."

Elsa

Hans put the wooden rod away, and some of his men picked up Anna and Caylee. "Don't try to struggle. It's my turn to play with magic. This little piece was in my father's belongings. Don't worry. You'll be able to move again, but only after I'm gone. You see, the Duke of Weselton did his job, getting in here and mapping out all the little rat tunnels to get me in. After a series of bait and switches, I was able to sneak in and just take what I want. The girl, and Anna." He paused and smiled at the queen. The smile made her skin crawl. "I'm sorry, your highness. I've grown more fond of her anyway. Besides, it's much more fun to use her to break you." With that the man turned and walked away.

Elsa felt alone. Soon she found herself moving and she tried to wake Kristoff. That's when she heard wheezing. Her head snapped around to see Duncan, motioning for her to come over.

"I'm sorry, Milady. Please. Forgive me. I haven't much time left." His voice was weak, barely above a whisper.

"Don't talk like that. MEDIC!" She cried out, but again felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Death is just another great journey, and it is my time to go." He winced in pain as a cough racked his body. "Corvino. Be patient with him. He cares for you, he's just slow to admit it. You both are going to need to rely on each other, but know he's made tremendous amount of progress as a person since I have met him. Don't let him fall back to who he was."

The man's eyes closed and tears fell down Elsa's face. She knew that even though the invaders were repelled, the battle was a loss.

Corvino

The dragon hurtled towards the castle with break-neck speed. He found the spot where the group had been, and saw Elsa hunched by a body that was underneath a sheet. Right away, a knot formed in the pit of Corvino's stomach. He didn't need to see the body to know who it was, but walking over and lifting the sheet confirmed it as Duncan. Esmerelle let loose a mournful roar, almost like a howl. Corvino reacted differently. He punched the blood-soaked wall in anger.

"I-I'm sorry." Elsa's quiet voice quelled the rage building up in him.

"It's not your fault." he helped her up. "Death happens. Best we can do is learn from what happened."

"Lord Hoban. He-" Elsa started, but was too emotional to say anything.

_I can smell the worthless rat. He's still in the city._ After the thought entered his head from the dragon, Corvino stormed off. Something must have tipped Elsa off, as she followed him. Corvino found his way to the tunnels underneath the city. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, but Elsa had trouble seeing.

"Go. Find Thorin, tell him to start preparing to see Duncan off." he could tell that she didn't want to leave him alone, but she nodded and wandered off. Corvino made his way through the darkness. He enhanced his senses and soon found a corner where from around it some curses were being released. Corvino turned the corner and struck. Hoban never saw the knockout blow coming.

Dark thoughts filled Corvino's mind as he slung the small man over his shoulder.

Esmerelle

The dragon disagreed with Corvino's judgement about sending Elsa away. She looked through her partner's eyes and watched the situation. Esmerelle couldn't remember if she ever saw Corvino like this.

_Brother, I'm worried. What do I do?_ She knew Corypheus would hear her, but didn't know if he had any answers.

_Humans have been known to do something erratic. When that happens, try to find a way to break them out of it._

Esmerelle watched Corvino carry Hoban to the dungeons, where the smaller man was dropped unceremoniously. The drop seemed to rouse the man, who paled when he realized where he was. The man started babbling pleas of mercy and forgiveness, and she noticed that they were falling on deaf ears.

What the dragon observed next scared her. She saw Corvino close the door to the cell, and lock him in with Hoban. Corvino then put a spell on the door that fused the lock. Esmerelle first tried to contact the man, and when he gave no response, she went to the only person she thought could help.

_At the risk of angering Corvino, I feel he is about to do something rash. I advise you go to help him, for the sake of Lord Hoban._

Corvino

The man babbled incoherently, pleading for his life. Corvino ignored him, choosing to bring a chair over, using it as a table. Hoban paled when he saw the knives being laid out on the chair, and watched Corvino warily who was twirling a blade in his hand.

"The queen," he barely squeaked out the words.

"Even if she saw, she won't save you. The lock is fused. You are mine." The former Assassin's voice was cold. "You are going to sing, like a bird."

The man yelped as Corvino moved his hand. Bonds of shadow sprang out and pulled the little man to the wall. "Let's start with the obvious question. Why? What did Hans offer you? Money? Land?" He studied the man's face for visual signs. When none was given, the knife snapped to his hand and moved toward Hoban. "Let's see. Why don't we start with toes, shall we?"

"Wait! Wait! Trade. He was going to give me exclusive rights to the trade with the north." He shrieked. "Overthrowing the ice bitch was an added bonus."

The last remark earned the Duke a swift shot to the jaw. Corvino removed the boots and broke one of the man's toes. "Only answer my questions please. No extra opinions is needed." The man whimpered. "Now. What's the reason behind capturing the Princess and my sister?"

The man kept his silence, and spit at Corvino. The response was the former assassin wiping the spittle off his face, and breaking another toe. "Well now. You want to fight? Please. I will enjoy breaking you. Tell me. Where am I going to send your body parts? Your king? The Witch-Queen? Perhaps your family?" The last statement struck a nerve. "How would your son like to open a box with, oh I don't know, an ear?"

Hoban paled, but hope seemed to return in his eyes as he looked past Corvino. The former assassin didn't need to enhance his senses to guess who approached the door.

Elsa

What she saw scared her. Corvino had Lord Hoban bound on the wall. The duke was bloodied, his face contorted in pain. Corvino paused. He stopped twirling the dagger in his hand. "You should be helping in the aftermath of the battle."

"Esmerelle is worried. Honestly, so am I." Her voice trembled. She heard the heavy footsteps of Thorin approaching.

"This is not something you should be watching." Corvino started to try to brush her off.

"Is there no other way?" She tried the door, but couldn't move it. She wanted to meet Corvino's gaze, but he just stood there, facing Hoban.

"Not that's quick. I need to act fast if we're going to be able to rescue Anna and Caylee." For a moment there was a sense of heroism in his voice, but it soon disappeared. "You might want to look away."

The queen stood her ground and watched Corvino torture the man both physically and emotionally, threatening the man's family. She found herself praying that the threats were empty. Finally, the duke broke

"They want to destroy the legends of the Draconic Knights. Hans wants to destroy the queen emotionally, and the Witch-Queen has a feud with you." Thorin broke the door down, and the man seemed to calm more. "That's all I know."

Elsa and Thorin stepped into the cell, and Corvino stepped back. Hoban however seemed to find his confidence. "They all will die. Your sister, the princess, the queen. They all will rightly die. You don't know the corruption that runs in your dragons. How much more innocent blood will be-"

The man was cut off with a gurgle in his throat. A sickening crunch preceded it. Elsa didn't even register the movement from Corvino, who left the room. The duke was left with a knife in his throat, one that belonged to the rogue.

Elsa moved to help the man, but Thorin stopped her. "That's a killing blow. It's Corvino's style. The victim lives long enough to have his life flash through their eyes. It's called the Judgement Strike. Come. You don't want to watch this." The big man ushered her out. "Corvino will likely be in his room. I'll clean this up. You talk to him."

"How do I know that he'll listen to me?" The queen was taken aback that Thorin suggested she talk to Corvino, who seemed to be walking the razor's edge with his temper.

"He stopped as soon as he recognized you were there. Besides, he's already forming some hair-brained scheme to rescue our sisters."

Elsa found herself wandering the halls. She didn't know why, but she was going to try to talk to the former assassin. Anna's life depended on it.

**Boom. Duncan dead, Caylee and Anna are kidnapped. What's to become of them? How are our heroes going to deal with this development? Has Corvino gone insane? Wait until next week. As always, feel free to review or message.**


	12. The Hurricane After the Storm

**Sorry for the tardiness of this update. Between work and school, time has been a luxury I haven't been able to afford lately. Without further ado, here it is.**

Elsa

The queen walked down the halls to Corvino's room. Any other day, Elsa would be full of anticipation. After what she had just witnessed, she was full of apprehension. She never thought the former assassin would actually show his past, but it had just reared it's ugly head. She saw the man's fury. Whatever pain he had when they first met had seemed to disappear, replaced by this cold being that was without remorse.

The detailed door was pristine, which was surprising given the fact that the man was covered in blood. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She gripped the tooth he had given her before the battle had started, trying to use it to give her confidence.

_Enter, your grace. Be warned that he has shut me out. I do not know what awaits you behind that door._

The warning from the dragon sent a chill down the queen's spine, but she opened it. The room was empty, but there was his armor sitting on a stand, and supplies she had at least known were used to clean armor. She peered around and saw the washroom tub filled with dirty water. Time must have passed longer than it seemed while she was in her thoughts en route to the room.

Corvino exited a closet, wearing a basic tunic and pants. His steel eyes showed something she had never seen before. They were sullen. Defeated. His voice showed similar feelings. "You shouldn't be here. People will talk about the rumored torture. If it comes out that I did it, you socializing with me is not going to help your image."

"I'm the queen. I decide who I socialize with." something crept into her, perhaps some sort of unknown courage.

"Why waste your time with me?" He looked away and started cleaning his armor.

"Because Thorin's worried about you. As is Esmerelle. Even I'm-" She noticed a bottle on the table. "Is that the rum? Why is the rum gone?"

The answer came from both him and Esmerelle. "Why do you think?" Corvino continued. "There's still about a quarter of the bottle left."

The queen was silent, looking between the man and the bottle. "Finish your thought." He grabbed the bottle and took another swig.

"You have people who care for you that are worried." Her eyes pleaded for some sign of emotion out of the man. "Without your help, we would have been overrun."

The man was quiet, cleaning his gear. There was a roar in the distance, obviously Esmerelle frustrated by the situation. Elsa echoed the dragon's feelings. "Alright. This is how it's going to be. Time to stop wallowing in self-pity and focusing on mistakes. I know you. You shouldn't be doing this, you should be planning your next move."

The rant caused him to pause. He set down the armor, and lowered his head. After a few long moments, he spoke. "Already had a plan. Problem is, people are going to try to stop me."

The setting sun lowered the level of light in the room, and somehow she thought she saw a glass floating to Corvino. She realized that it was the shadows that were guiding it to him. He placed it on a table, and poured a glass of rum. Offering her to sit down, he took the seat across from her. His eyes glazed slightly as he began to speak. "I owe you a story, Elsa. This is going to be a long one." He lit a fire in the fireplace and used the smoke to create images again as he did weeks ago in Redbrooke.

"Back in Jassiney, I was a member of an organization known simply as the Shadow. To most outside Jassiney it's a story that people tell their children to scare them. Truth is the organization was very real. During my time there, I had befriended a few people. One of them being a young woman named Melina."

The smoke formed the face of a young woman. "Strikingly beautiful, long red hair, vivid green eyes. Towards the end, I fell for her, and the feelings were mutual. We were a team. We became close after an undercover mission, and despite the recommendations, we fell in love."

"Despite recommendations?" Elsa was intrigued by someone who had gotten close enough to Corvino to have him consider love.

"The members of the shadow aren't forbidden from friendships and romance, but it's discouraged due to the nature of what we did. Masters of espionage, infiltration, burglary, and assassinations. Most places in the world would kill anyone on suspicion, hence why partnerships in The Shadow were rare. Occasionally there would be a pair that would work so well that the results outweighed the risk. Regardless, the Shadow didn't give you any support. If you got caught, you were screwed.

"The fall of Jassiney is often attributed to the Draconic Knights, but it was really because I broke protocol. Marus was looking to destroy Jassiney and Melina and I had infiltrated his camp. Problem is we got caught. I tried to do the noble thing and cover her escape, but there were too many troops. I was hip-deep in troops and she still got captured. In stead of going back for her right away, which would have been suicide, I enlisted the help of my brother. We walked into the camp at the supposed grace of Marus, but truth is he wanted to turn us against our home. To try to entice me, he threatened Melina's life. When neither of us switched, he killed her. That was the day that I had completely lost myself. The first kill was Marus, and I don't know more. I don't want to know more. I killed anyone who got in my way. When it was all over there was so much blood on my hands that I didn't return home. Not until I had found out that Jassiney was under siege.

"When I went back, I only wanted to get Caylee out. Duncan gave me a stone that turned out to be Esmerelle's egg, and it made me put things back together on my terms. I didn't have to worry about Thorin, he could take care of himself. Caylee stayed with the old man." Corvino finished and took another long drink from the bottle. "No matter what I do, I can't seem to shed my past. As it turns out, I still have the instincts from The Shadow, and as fate likes to twist the knife, Melina is still alive. Just not who I remember her being."

"What do you mean?" She saw Corvino shake his head, bringing himself back to reality.

"I recently found out that she had someone nurse her back to health. She now calls herself the Witch-Queen after taking out or subjecting all the generals in Velkor."

Elsa's jaw dropped. She could only imagine what he had felt when he found out this revelation. Before she thought, she rose, walked around the table and wrapped her arms around the man to try to offer comfort. She felt her hand covered by one of his, a sign that he accepted the offer. A question slipped out. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, I know she's taking Anna and Caylee to Jassiney. She made a point to monologue at me on the battlefield." He made a face. "What is it with people feeling the need to indulge their egos?"

"This coming from the man who for the past few weeks has made multiple jokes at my expense calling himself a 'Dashing Rogue'. Little hypocritical there?" she chortled.

"You have me there. As for what I'm going to do, heading back to Jassiney is most likely a trap. Strike that. It is a trap. So the next logical step is to spring the trap." He took another drink from the bottle. "Esmerelle and I will head up there to rescue them. What with Thorin and I having visions too, there is a little bit of investigation that needs to be done."

"So your brother is going with you? What about Anna? You are trying to rescue more than just your sister." Elsa continued to ramble on, but Corvino stopped her.

"No, Thorin is not going with. This is flat-out infiltration. Thorin would be as useful as a sword in an archery contest. I will rescue both of them. I promise you that." He paused. "I will be going with Esmerelle, so I won't be alone."

"You need someone else to go with you." she pulled away and stared into his steel-colored eyes.

"Like who? I don't dare take Thorin and Kristoff due to the fact that they're bulky, and Kristoff is injured."

"Take me." More words that escaped her brain before she thought. Unlike moving to comfort Corvino however, Elsa was fully confidant of this decision.

Corvino

"Take me." He stared into the queen's blue orbs, registering the thought.

"No." He stood and moved away from the queen. He also brushed aside a protest from Esmerelle.

"When I ran off into the wild two and a half years ago, Anna went running after me. You are tracking more than your own sister here."

"Your kingdom needs you here, Elsa." He looked back at her, and she took a few steps towards him. "Half the city isn't structurally sound."

"I've got a place I can move people to." She began. "When Kristoff is conscious, he will be able to rule in my stead. With advice from your brother."

The man paused, and began to consider it. She would be easier to sneak around with than Thorin, and her magic could be useful. _Am I seriously considering this? What the bloody hell is wrong with me?_

_You've been drinking a lot. Remember?_ The dragon's response was taunting. _Besides, I want to see how this plays out. Many great adventures of the Draconic Knights were started by indulging the curiousities of a dragon. You told me that yourself._

"Overgrown lizard." He didn't realize he said the statement out loud, and was surprised when he elicited a laugh out of the queen. "What?"

"You're arguing with Esmerelle, aren't you?" she challenged. "What does she have to say?"

"Well, She's intrigued. I am not making that call right now, however." The day was starting to wear on him. "I should get my rest. I'm sure you're going to want me and Thorin around when you meet with the council?"

"Yes. I also would like to be around when you and Thorin see Duncan off. He mentioned something about a pyre?"

"Aye. Something reserved for great men, and Duncan was just that." He paused. "I think that he would have been happy with your attendance."

He escorted the queen to the door, and before he opened it, she stopped him. "Thank you for sharing your past. I can't imagine it was easy, or any of what you are going through. I am here for support if you need it." She proceeded to kiss his forehead. This motion confused him, but he let her out, wishing her goodnight.

When he shut the door, he rested against it and dropped to the floor. His mind wasn't processing the day, but for the first time that day, it felt peace. After a few minutes, he rose and finished cleaning his armor, digesting everything. At the end of the night, it wasn't the carnage of the day that tugged his dreams along, but a young woman with platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

Elsa

The queen woke up in the middle of a nightmare. Haunted by the vision of the man she had killed, and Anna being taken. It was morning, and she had been struggling to sleep all night. Gerda helped her prepare for the morning. Breakfast was a chore, and Corvino again seemed fine, although his hangover cure was probably the reason. The two brothers spoke amongst themselves, leaving Elsa in the dark. She tried to guess what they were saying, but all she could figure out was something to do with her.

With the council meeting in the afternoon, Corvino and Thorin went right to making a pyre for Duncan. It was set up some length outside of the city, so that Corypheus and Esmerelle could attend. Elsa noticed sleight tension between Corvino and the emerald-colored dragon, but kept quiet. The body was placed in some dark-colored finery, adorned with what she could only think to be sigils from Jassiney. A sword was placed in the ground just past the feet of the body, and a pouch sat on his hands. Thorin was fumbling with the pipe.

"Before we send him off, we were going to have a smoke in his honor." The giant spoke. "At least the humans will. The dragons wouldn't be able to do much with it."

He lit the pipe, and took a few puffs to get the burn going. The smell reminded the queen of the man they were here to honor. After a while, he passed it to Corvino, who took a few puffs himself. After a minute, he passed it back to his brother and looked at the body. "Sorry, old friend. I prefer my vice in a liquid form."

Elsa passed, and Thorin reverently put the pipe next to the pouch. The brothers then grabbed unlit torches, before passing one to queen. Thorin spoke first. "What's to say about Duncan? He was a mentor, a storyteller, and a friend. He introduced me to the opportunity of a lifetime to travel with Corypheus, and elevate me to higher potentials. I will miss you." With that, the giant lit his torch, and turned to look at the queen.

"I-I wish there was a way for Arendelle to thank you. You laid down your life in my defense. When this is over, we will honor you." She raised her torch to light it off of the one held by Thorin.

Corvino cleared his throat. "You gave me a chance to be something great or something terrible and had faith in me when I could find none for myself. All you did was push me in the right direction, and I figured it out myself. For that, I owe you a debt I will never be able to repay. Not even if you had more time on this earth. Take solace in knowing that I will avenge you by taking up the mantle of your dream. Jassiney will soon be restored." The man paused before lighting his torch, choosing to cut a strip of cloth from the finery. He then tied it into his hair, which was pulled back into a thick braid.

Afterwards, he lit his using the torch borne by Elsa. The trio stepped forward, and set them at the base of the pyre, and the dragons let out a mournful howl.

Corvino

The council was buzzing. Everyone was confirming losses. Garrus was one among the many casualties from the previous day.

Elsa seemed to keep up with processing the information, before she finally spoke. "It's been established that the city isn't structurally safe. That said, rebuilding should be our top priority."

"What about the kidnapping of Princess Anna? Or the fact that you've been harboring a war criminal yourself?" It was the farming guild rep. Again.

_Ugh. I may need some help not killing this guy._ He knew that his dragon was already melding minds.

_Remember how your snow queen reacted with your actions yesterday._

"I'm sorry, are we straining his concentration? Does he even need to be here?"

"Yes. Because I am here to tell you that I am going after them. Your Highness, may I make a recommendation?" A plan was forming in Corvino's mind, and he was going to enact it.

"Of course." the queen shot the man a look before turning her gaze on the former assassin with an inquisitive eyebrow.

Corvino stood and walked around to the man. "What is your name?"

"Mads. What's it to you?"

"Well, Mads, here's the deal. I will come clean with my past now, but I do so in good faith, hoping to earn your trust." He rested a hand on the man's shoulder, keeping his voice calm.

"I know you're a member of The Shadow. You employed torture on someone who was a prisoner of Arendelle."

"I made a mistake yesterday, but let me ask you this. If one of your loved ones were captured, wouldn't you do everything you'd know? I'm sure you'd try to take a few swings at the man yourself."

The councilman fell quiet. Corvino knew he struck a chord and continued. "I am a man with an evil past. I have come to terms with that. Because of my past, I have skills that some would deem unsavory. I am now using those skills in the best way I can to make this world a better place because of the opportunity I have. Traveling with a young dragon tends to re-focus one's morality.

"Now I understand you have every right to not trust me, but I ask you to for one simple reason. It's not just Princess Anna who has gone missing, but my own sister, Calista and her dragon Iizkulbrii. My own blood. With that as my incentive, I will bring all of them back, or lay down my life doing so."

The entire council was now enraptured with the former assassin, who took the opportunity to close. "I don't deserve this second chance I've been given, but I sure as hell am going to make things right."

After a few moments, Elsa spoke up. "I am also going with him. Anna went after me when I tried to run away a couple years ago. It's time I return the favor." Corvino expected some dissent from the statement, but instead the council seemed to support it. "In my stead, I will leave Kristoff in charge. Thorin will advise him. We will not lead until Kristoff is prepared for the task."

Mads spoke up. "We still don't know what to do with the forces from Weselton that we have captured."

"Kill the leaders, give the troops a chance to earn their lives. The leaders may have had similar training as the now deposed duke had, but there is no way that they could have the resources to train all their soldiers in telepathy." He paused. "Jassiney would use that, giving them temporary troops and when the indenture process was over, it made the troops question their loyalties."

"Even then, we need help. I will send a representative to Corona to request aid on my behalf." Elsa spoke up. "For now, we focus on rebuilding. I won't keep you all longer. Move those who can't work or defend to one of our strongholds. Thorin and Corvino will travel with the groups to aid in the defense. Any questions?"

Corvino had to admit. He liked the strong ruler Elsa, but he let the thought linger in his head a little too long, as Esmerelle took a shot at his vulnerability.

_She was having similar thoughts last night when she was trying to help you unscramble your brain._ The comment caused the man to choke on mouth full of water as he was in the process of taking a drink. "Sorry." Everyone stared at him.

"It's alright, Master Al'Draco. Meeting is adjourned." Everyone left the room, and Corvino went out to search for a tanner. If he was going to travel with the queen, he was going to need a new saddle for the dragon.

**There it is. I will try to get it up when I can, still trying for once a week. I do have a week off and then a few weeks sprinting to the finish of the term, so bear with me. In the mean time, Twelve favs, Thanks! As always, until next time, and feel free to message and/or review. **


	13. Preparations

**Ok, here's the first half, second half to come tomorrow. I also did some proofreading in earlier chapters. Here goes!**

Corvino

The tanner seemed all too happy to cater to Corvino's needs. In fact, most of Arendelle's populace seemed to rally around the queen, and by way of circumstance, him. As the dark-haired man walked through the streets, he felt eyes on him, but couldn't realize the true meaning behind them. His mind skirted around all the attention on him, which was easy. By now, most everyone had heard of his combat prowess, and nobody dared approach him in a time where so much was going on.

Nobody save for Thorin. The brothers co-ordinated the escorting of the refugees from the capitol to Arken, where they could seek security in the mines. Riding with them proved to be a good distraction, once Corvino was able to pry Esmerelle away from the tanner, who was enthralled to be working with her. The trip took a few days to get to Arken, and along the way the group encountered bandits, most of which dropped their weapons and ran at the sight of two slightly annoyed and possibly hungry dragons.

The trip back only took a day, as the dragons were able to fly much faster than what the caravans were able to travel. Corvino kept himself busy going over the list of supplies he needed for the journey.

_This trip would be a good chance to get some individual training with the queen. She's also going to want training against magic._ The thought came from Esmerelle. The man mulled it over. He had used magic for the first time in years. He was bound to be rusty.

"Something to think about. We'll see how it plays," came the response.

Elsa

The queen did her best to try to stay strong for her kingdom, but as the days passed, the reverse proved to happen. Various members of her kingdom of all ranks and all walks of life sent well wishes and gratitude to the snow queen in a show of solidarity. It was no secret that Elsa was going to rescue Anna, and everyone did their best to make sure the queen was prepared.

Corvino had prepared a list that as soon as he produced it, it seemed to vanish. Elsa was surprised to see the kingdom rally around him as well, proving to her that the way her citizens were acting were doing so as an extension of her. Stories of how the man fought ran rampant, describing the intensity that he fought with. Even more common were the stories of the dragons, and even a few about Thorin.

Elsa was at least happy that morale was high. The battle proved to be more destructive to Arendelle than what she was hoping to see. Most of the city needed to be rebuilt. The queen decided to work in secret making the city more accessable for the dragons who helped aid in their hour of need. The people were all too eager to help, as a few members of the council began to work with her.

The one thing the people couldn't help Elsa with was trying to sleep. The images of the day still replayed in her head, seeing the death that had been caused because of her, both indirectly and directly, and Hans kidnapping Anna and Caylee. She tried everything she could, but wasn't able to find the comfort that truly sleeping would prove to give her before.

Corvino and Thorin returned after a few days, and Thorin went to rallying troops. Corvino on the other hand began working on something. It was only after Elsa could get some time away to sneak into his room that she saw what he was doing. Various alchemical agents and supplies sat on a table, and she saw him reading a notebook which looked rather old.

"Somehow, I knew I wouldn't be able to get this from him personally." He knew she was there. She didn't know how, just that he was aware of her presence.

"What is it?" She sat in a chair facing him, interest creeping across her face.

"The healing potion he gave me. I'm making it for Kristoff. Pabbie said that he just came to yesterday."

"Some good news at least. Is everything all set for the trip?" Anticipation was in her voice, wanting to get moving to saving Anna.

"Your people seemed to move fast. Then again, Thorin and I were gone for a few days." He put a rather viscious liquid in a flask, then set the flask down. "I'm going to also give you more training too. Help you learn how to use your magic in combat, and also training against it. Thank Esmerelle for the idea."

"Have you used magic in combat before?" She looked at him, but his eyes stared off.

"Not for a long time. Which will really make things interesting." He took a swig of a bottle that she had known he found in Duncan's things. "You know, coming to terms with my past was not my original idea of fun, but it's something that I've been needing to do for some time."

"Your past is a part of you. You can't change it. What you can do is learn from it when making choices now and in the future." The statement brought a chuckle from the man, who offered her the bottle. She declined.

"You're sounding like Duncan. Don't take that the wrong way, hopefully his wisdom has rubbed off on all of us." Even though she had known Duncan a short time, she knew what the former assassin meant. Corvino rose, and grabbed the flask. "I should get this to Kristoff. Someone still has to tell him what happened."

Elsa rose and walked with Corvino. She was dreading the moment that was coming.

Corvino

The former assassin walked through the halls of the castle to Kristoff's room. He opened the door for Elsa, who thanked him quietly. Kristoff was lying in his bed, but tried to move when he saw the two enter. Pain kept him from doing so. Sven nudged his nose against the man to try to comfort him.

"Here. Drink this. It'll help." Corvino replied, handing him the flask. His statements were curt, but there was concern creeping in his voice. _So this is what it's like to be on the other end of a recovery from an near-death experience._

_More or less. You tend to make everyone else know how miserable you truly are though._

Kristoff drank the flask, and coughed when it went down. "That tasted horrible."

"If it burns, it means it's working." The statement came out just like Duncan had said it weeks before.

"What's really going on? Nobody will tell me anything." Corvino saw Elsa's face sadden. A voice from within him told him to stay to help her, one that wasn't the dragon.

"Kristoff, I can't put this delicately. Anna's gone." Her words were quiet, deliberate.

Almost instantly, the man launched into questions, and Elsa started to get flustered. "What? What do you mean? How-"

"Anna was kidnapped, as was my sister, Caylee." Corvino stated. His voice was even. Someone had to be the one to keep a level head and he was surprised that it was him.

Kristoff blinked and fell silent when Corvino told him. He looked at the man. "What are you going to do?"

"I've already stated that I am going after them. We needed time to gather supplies, and tend to the wounded as well as bury our dead." He paused, thinking things over for a moment. "Should be leaving the day after tomorrow. You will have plenty of time to heal with the aid of the potion I gave you."

"You're going alone?" The big man stared at the former assassin.

"No. I'm going with him." Elsa spoke up. "I wouldn't let him go alone."

"Have you thought this through, Elsa?" Kristoff looked at her surprised.

"I have. We can't take both the dragons, and you are resting. Besides, I need to return the favor to my sister. Thankfully, we're leaving the kingdom in better hands this time." When Kristoff gave her an inquisitive look, she just gave him a short reply. "You."

"How do you expect me to run a kingdom?" the man was nervous, that much was obvious. He had never shown himself to be a leader, just an all-around caring guy.

"First off, you run it as you were talking to another person. Try to help any way you can. Thorin will also be aiding you." This drew the man's gaze back to Corvino, who just shrugged

Corvino barely registered the gaze, brushing off a comment from Esmerelle in his head. "I personally was against the idea, but I've been convinced because apparently when I go galavanting off like this, I tend to have near-death experiences. Something about getting too involved."

Kristoff remained silent, and Sven nudged him and grunted as if to say "You'll do fine." The big man then spoke again. "Promise me you'll bring her back."

Elsa started to speak, but Corvino cut her off, his steel eyes boring into the man. What the former assassin couldn't see was the fire that was in steel orbs he possessed. "I promise that I will bring both my sister and your bethrothed back, or I will at least die trying."

Elsa

After the visit with Kristoff, Corvino went to packing. Elsa tried to do the same, and even enlisted the help of Thorin to help her pack the basics for a long journey on the road. After a while, he left the queen to herself, and she still found herself struggling. She was about to give up when a soft knock snapped her focus. "Come in."

Corvino entered. "Thorin said I'd be better suited to try to give you help?

"I guess." She motioned, and he started helping. "Did you have to be so serious when you were talking to Kristoff? I mean we don't know what waits us there."

"I have a good idea." He began taking over the packing process. "Jassiney is held by the enemy, so there is a very high chance of death. That said, you are right. We don't know what awaits us there. I guess I presented myself that way to try to help raise the man's spirits. Morale can help heal just as well as medicine."

The queen pondered the reasoning. "Do you think it will come to death?"

"I doubt Esmerelle would let it get to that point." He paused. "Why the sudden fixation on death?"

"Just been thinking about the past few days." she hoped that he would leave it at that and tried to change the subject. "So what about you? Going back to Jassiney for the first time in years. What's that like?"

She thanked her luck when he played along. "I don't know. I'm not sure what to expect." He chuckled. "The whole idea is pretty much suicide, but it's what we have to do. Just know it's not going to be anywhere what it used to be. It was beautiful before it fell. I don't know what remains intact throughout the years."

"Do you regret leaving it behind?" The question sounded stupid when she said it.

"No. I Did what I needed to do to survive and protect Caylee." she envied the conviction in his voice. "Though when I left, I never thought I'd be returning. Especially with a dragon, or a queen, let alone both."

She was surprised at how quickly he went through packing. "Is that it?"

"We won't need much, the main thing left are personal effects, which I will leave to you. It's more out of respect than anything else." she began to wonder what he meant, but a thought entered her mind from Esmerelle, who clarified, drawing an embarassed chuckle from the queen. "Well, I think I'll leave you to the rest of your night. I need to finish up a few things and rest up for the journey. Good night, Elsa.

"Good night, Corvino." when he left the room, she sighed. He again found a way to make her heart flutter and her stomach knot. What she didn't realize was that the man was standing on the other side of the door sighing and muttering similar sentiments to himself.

Corvino

His mind was swirling with all sorts of thoughts. One question in particular kept nagging at him. _How the hell does she know all the right questions to find the chinks in my armor?_

_Perhaps it is you who are letting your guard down, little one. Through opening up to her, you are giving her insight and courage to ask questions such as those._ The thought in his head made him smile slightly as he walked through the hall.

_Perhaps you are right, my friend. I guess I am letting my guard down._

_Is that a bad thing? It seems that you've gone through a measure of personal growth during your time here._

Corvino paused as he shut the door to his room. _I'm not sure this is such a bad thing. This is going to sound stupid and irrational, but something about this just feels..._right_. I'm not sure I've even felt like this with Melina. Hell, you take out the war, and you've got a bloody fairy tale._

He heard the dragon chuckle in his head. _Regardless, I think this is good for you, little one._

_Perhaps. Maybe I'm just going soft._

"Perhaps it's love?" The voice made him jump, as he turned around and saw Pabbie.

Corvino cleared his throat and refocused himself. "I'm sorry?"

"What is happening between you and the queen is special. Often times, special turns into love." The old troll smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with your companion. I acutally wanted to thank you for helping Kristoff."

"I was talking out loud again, wasn't I?" Pabbie nodded, which caused the man to curse softly. "It was the least I could do. I'm trying not to blame myself for what happened, but I knew I should have seen it coming."

"Would it have changed anything? Because of the aggressive plan you and your brother used, casualties were lessened. We can re-build cities, we can't bring back the dead." the troll's words elicited a sigh from the man.

"I guess you're right. Anything else I can do for you, Pabbie? I need to rest for the journey."

The troll shook his head. "I just wanted to thank you for your help with Kristoff. Good night, Master Al'Draco."

**Looks like Corvino's starting to come to terms with his feelings for Elsa. What will the trip to Jassiney hold for them as they are by themselves with the only other company being a dragon who's just as curious about the relationship between them? Well, we'll see the first view in the next chapter. Until tomorrow! Again, apologies for the delays, please don't hunt me with pitchforks and torches. As always, feel free to review and or message me.**


	14. Journey to Jassiney

**Here's part two of my make up chapters. Enjoy!**

Corvino

The preparation kept the man busy, but it was finally time to leave. A gathering stood outside the gates, with Esmerelle waiting patiently, still admiring her new saddle. Elsa was talking to Kristoff, who was able to move, with help from Sven. Thorin took the opportunity to talk to his brother one last time before the trio left.

"I don't need to tell you how to do this. Just be careful."

Corvino flashed his grin. "It's me. How much trouble can I get into? Don't answer that." The statement drew a laugh from the brothers, before Thorin stood beside Kristoff.

"Are we ready?" Elsa stood by Kristoff, Corvino standing at the dragon. She looked over at him with some determination in her eyes.

"Aye. It's time." Corvino didn't have to say much. Elsa bid one last farwell to Kristoff, and accepted Corvino's help onto the dragon. He then climbed on in front of her. "I give you my word that we'll find them."

Esmerelle let out a roar, and the dragon took flight. Corvino felt the queen instinctively tighten her grip around his waist, causing him to chuckle. He knew she was apprehensive about the travel, but her care for Anna won over her fears. Even if just barely.

The countryside receded as the trio ascended among the clouds. Soon after, the queen loosened her grip as they steadied out. What the former assassin did next truly frightened the queen. He unsecured himself from the saddle, and walked up the dragon's neck and sat down on the majestic being's head.

Elsa

The dragon knew what Corvino was doing. Elsa had no idea what he was doing and was scared he was going to fall off. The dragon knew that the man wasn't going to clue Elsa in, so Esmerelle decided to clarify.

He is doing something the Draconic Masters of old used to do.

"Draconic masters?" The wind drowned out the queen's voice, but dragon heard Elsa's mind.

The Draconic Knights were led by Masters. Men and women who were so in touch with their dragons that they were able to embody aspects of a dragon themselves. They were said to be able to focus their skin into scales, breath elements like a dragon and even sprout wings.

"Have you or him even seen that?" The queen tried to imagine what sort of trouble Corvino would bee able to cause with those kind of powers.

No, but the stories were passed on to encourage and nurture bonds between a knight and their draconic companion. Even doing this is proof of a knight's unyielding trust of their dragon.

"Is there a way for a dragon to return this favor?" The queen was truly in awe of what had just been revealed to her. "I mean show the same amount of respect and trust?"

Nothing so grandiose. At least not at first glance. What people don't realize is that by taking and being raised by a human companion, it's a dragon's ultimate display of trust. We are as loyal a companion as you will ever come by.

Elsa pondered the revalation. She wondered if she had ever come across someone apart from her family, Olaf or Marshmallow, whom had ever shown her that sort of trust and devotion. Soon enough, the dragon landed for the two humans to break for lunch. It was a simple one, and then Corvino began the lessons in magical combat.

"For starters, magic is fueled by emotions, but also controlled by them." The statement made sense as the queen reflected on her own expiriences. "I'm going to teach you some calming techniques to help."

For an hour or so, they went over meditation techniques before he finally got up and got them going again. This time, he sat with her talking the basics of magic. Some of which she had figured out on her own, some she hadn't known before. She was surprised when she found out she could learn more magic than just her ice magic, and payed close attention as he went over the finer points of healing magic. When they stopped for the night, they sparred while dinner was cooking.

"I want you to use magic in with this." Corvino had drawn a wide circle in the ground around them. She couldn't entirely tell what he was doing but he turned back around when he was done. "This circle will depower our magical abilities. That way we can't kill each other with our respective magics. Now, begin."

Elsa went to draw her blade, but found herself with an idea instead. She created a sword out of ice. It was the most beautiful weapon she had ever seen. It even drew a look of wonder from Corvino. Before he could say anything however, the queen pressed an attack. The blade was balanced perfectly to her, feeling like an extension of her. She was able to land a couple of light hits with the pale blue blade before Corvino started pressing. The man seemed to blur into the shadows in the night, the only markers on his position being his blades and his eyes. She began to launch magic at him trying to throw him off, but he seemed to avoid it. That was when the queen had an idea. A cold wind began to howl around her as a small blizzard swirled around the two.

Esmerelle

The dragon watched the sparring match with a passing interest. The queen had improved, but this blizzard trick was rather clever. The dragon had to give Elsa credit, as creating the blizzard made it harder for Corvino to see her. What the young woman didn't realize was the white snow began to cancel out the shadows, depowering the former assassin's shadow magic.

With her senses, the dragon could see through the blizzard with ease, but reached her mind out to sense the surface thoughts of the two sparring partners. Elsa was frantic, but also seemed to be gaining confidence, as Corvino hadn't attacked. Corvino on the other hand was a blank slate, reverting back to his training. The dragon saw him press on, but with his vision taken away, the playing field was skewed in the queen's favor.

That didn't mean that she would win, however. Elsa let the advantage get to her, and let her guard down a few times. Soon enough, Corvino found one of those instances and regained control. The queen lost her concentration, and the storm dissipated. Elsa began throwing shards of ice at him, but he countered this by dropping his short sword and launching a barrage of shadow bolts. Finally, a darkness enshrouded the two, and when it lifted, the queen was on the ground, the former assassin's blade tapping her right shoulder in signal of victory.

"That was quite the creative move there. You are limited to what your mind can come up with." Corvino smiled warmly, almost with pride. The dragon echoed the sentiment.

Your magic is not only a gift, but an advantage. Using it in a defensive capability such as that is a very smart tactic.

"Thank you." Elsa began helping herself to the food that was cooking over the fire. "I thought if he could do it with shadows, I could do it with snow."

"It also seems I am rusty with my magic as well, though I don't have the natural talent for it such as you." Corvino also helped himself to dinner.

The man began to talk more techniques with the queen, and Esmerelle began to remove herself from the conversation and just observe the two. The dragon had seen her companion interact with other females before, but this was different for the man. There truly was a sense of caring that she could see. Eventually, the two finished their conversaiton, and went to sleep. Not before Esmerelle bid pleasant dreams to her companion. The dragon followed suit not long afterwards.

Elsa

The scene was hazy, but she clearly saw the man coming to attack her. Sword raised, he charged, and she saw the blast of ice hit him square through the chest. Blood surrounded the hole her magic had created, and some started coming out the man's mouth. The light left his eyes signfifying the man's death.

Elsa bolted upright, and it was still night. Esmerelle was asleep, a soft, throaty rumble emanating from her. Corvino was lying down, but rolled over to face her. "Trouble sleeping?"

"Nightmare," came the only words she could manage to say.

The man moved over to her and sat down next to her. "I noticed you had been losing sleep. Is it because of Anna? Or is there something more?"

"Combination of both." She looked away.

"Hey. If I'm not allowed to shut people out, you aren't either." He said it half-jokingly, but she knew what he was getting at. As the conversation earlier in the night had continued on, Esmerelle had tuned herself out. They talked more about Corvino's past, and he promised her that he wasn't going to hide anything from her. She didn't understand why he said it, but she was glad he did.

"I-I killed a man that day." No sooner had the words escaped her mouth, she buried her face in her hands. Tears began to build up.

She first felt a slight brush of wind, then his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close in comfort. She instinctively rested her head on his shoulder. "I understand. Tell me about it."

She recounted the days events with the killing of the man. Corvino said nothing for a few long moments. He just kept his arm around her. Finally, he spoke. "Thank you for telling me. I can understand why admitting something like this is hard."

She pulled away from him. "How would you know? Killing used to be your way of life. You're so used to it that it doesn't make a difference who lives and who dies. You were a bloody assassin." Right after the words left her mouth, she realized what she said. Tears burst from her eyes, and she again buried her face in her hands, pulling her knees up to her chest. She could barely manage a soft apology. "I didn't mean that."

"No, you're right. I have killed people. I don't know all of what you are going through. I've probably forgotten this feeling a long while ago. From where I stand now, though, I think you are better off than I am." His voice was soft, and again, he moved over and put his arm around her for comfort.

"How so?" She could barely speak.

"Because you are thinking about it. In order to be an assassin, I had to stop thinking about it. Thing is, the less I thought about it, the less I cared. When I started rebuilding my life, it made it harder to care. Sometimes it still is hard to keep myself from losing sight of the fact that I'm not the cold-blooded killer anymore, especially in battle." He let the words sink in before continuing. "They say that with every person you kill, that person takes a piece of your soul. I've seen people have the reaction that you are going through, and make their second kill their last by self-infliction."

"Suicide?" she raised her head to look at him and he nodded.

"Aye. I've also seen people react the opposite way, reveling in the kill."

"How did you react after your first kill?" Her curiousity got the better of her.

"I honestly don't remember. It was a long time ago." His eyes glazed slightly as he walked back through his memory. "I do remember what it was, however. It was a contract on a corrupt member of the Corona council. If anything I remember justifying it by measuring the good that the man's death brought."

Elsa fell silent, thinking. Was one man's death worth the trouble the battle had caused? Corvino's story brought more questions than answers. He spoke up. "I am going to say this though. The fact that you care says a lot about you as a person. You're kind. Caring. Qualities that are needed in a strong ruler. You took a life when it came to you or him. Any members of your army would have gladly put their lives on the line to defend you against that man."

She knew he was right. His words helped somewhat. The two were quiet for a while, staring at the night sky. She was about to say something when she heard Corvino snoring. Elsa's slumber wasn't far behind, and in his arms, she slept soundly for the first time in what seemed like ages.

Corvino

Dawn began to break and Corvino's mind began to wake. He felt the warmth of a body next to him and wrapped his other arm around it. The body moved closer to him and he heard a slight snore.

Well, isn't this a nice sight to wake up to? Esmerelle's voice popped in his head.

Are you trying to get me to look at the sunrise again? The two had watched the sunrise before, so Corvino assumed that was what the dragon was getting at. Then the dragon sent him what she was looking at. He saw himself lying down, with his arms around Elsa. Her arms grabbing his and she was asleep. Corvino's eyes shot open and he saw the platinum blonde locks in front of him. His mind went frantic, but confirmed that the two hadn't done anything romantically, remembering last night's conversation. Now he had the problem of trying to get out of her grip without waking her up.

You should see your face right now. It's redder than the hair of the princess we're trying to rescue. For added effect, she sent him what she was seeing.

That's not helping. The dragon chuckled.

What made you think that I would help?

Corvino was about to answer when he heard a soft groan from Elsa. She rolled over and half opened an eye then closed it.

It took a moment, but then her eyes flitted open and her face began to flush. She sprang away from him. "Oh my gosh. I-oh boy. I don't know what happened. Oh my god I'm so embarrassed."

"What? Is the dashing rogue not good enough for you?" the quip came out faster than he actually registered the thought. There you go, little one. Keep digging yourself a hole.

"No, I just-" She couldn't seem to find the words.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I'm going to make you breakfast as I've already had a healthy diet of foot in the mouth for the morning." He stood up and turned to prepare food.

The morning was quiet, until finally, Elsa spoke. "I'm sorry. Last night you fell asleep and it was just...well it was comfortable."

"There's no need to apologize. It's not like we did anything. We just slept in each other's arms. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't think the same way." He felt his ears burning but took solace in the fact that Elsa's face was still slightly flushed.

"So. Where do we go from here?" She asked. Her eyes were staring into him.

"Well, we should get moving soon. I figure we should get to the mountain range soon, and Jassiney is not far off, maybe midday we'll get there."

"Oh. Alright." He knew she figured out he dodged the question, but they needed to stay focused on what was going on.

As he went about tearing down camp, he heard Esmerelle in his head. I thought you weren't going to let anyone new in close.

I think I'm losing control over the situation. Then again, it takes two to truly dance. He knew that they both were falling for each other, but it was becoming glaringly obvious that neither wanted to stop it.

Elsa

Elsa snuck looks at the man as they went about the morning. He saw her staring at his markings again.

"Something on your mind, your highness?" He quipped. That cocky grin crossed his face again. Oh how she loved and hated that about him.

Words were able to find her, however. "I was wondering about the markings you have on your skin."

"Ahh, my tattoos. In some cultures, it's customary to get ink grafted into your skin. Tribal cultures think it's a way to put protective runes into one's body to ward off foul spirits. Pirates like it because it signifies something with the person usually." He walked over to show her the markings he had. There was a dragon on his chest that looked similar to Esmerelle, and then a symbol on his arm that she didn't recognize.

"That sounds painful."

"It was, to an extent." His reply made her feel stupid. "It all depends on where you get it and who does it. Then again, a good drunken stupor can aid both the process of sitting still for so long and helping you not feel the pain."

"Is this Esmerelle?" She pointed to the dragon.

"Yup. The other one is a tribal rune for protection." He turned so she could see it better. "A witchdoctor of M'Baku did that one."

"It's pretty. What about the rest of them?" She motioned to his arms.

"That's just what happens when pirates get bored. They tattoo people. The one I sailed with on the Siren's Call was gifted at the craft." He turned the arms around so she could see that the artwork. On his right arm, he had symbols associated with Jassiney and the Draconic Knights going all the way to his shoulder. On his left one, in addition to the tribal rune, he had artwork of various luck symbols in a spiderweb, that ran all the way up to his shoulder, where there was a spider burying it's fangs into a skull.

The artwork intrigued her, although the spider creeped her out a little. She had to admit, the detailing was impeccable. Noting her reaction, the man spoke up. "That one wasn't designed by me. It was just the guy having fun and using me as practice."

"I see." She let Corvino finish.

"Some places frown upon the practice. I think it's unique." He then looked up at her. "I don't think it's becoming of a queen to have them though. The council might have problems with the idea."

"Why?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Some highbrow societies like the Southern Isles and Weselton don't feel it's proper. Corona seems to have the same general idea." He put his shirt on and put the cloak on. "Although some of them can be easily hidden, based on the location. The thing to remember with these is that they are permanent."

"They don't wash out?" She started to grasp what he was getting at.

"Correct. So if you were to get something, you'd have to make it something you wouldn't regret. There's only one way I know of removing them, and it's not pleasant."

"I see." She knew what he was getting at, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she retreated into her thoughts and went about breaking camp. Soon enough the trio was back into the air. Corvino stayed put this time. Soon she saw the outline of a massive city in the distance. That's when the dragon landed.

"It's too dangerous to ride the dragon in, so we'll have to go in on foot. Thankfully I know all the rat tunnels into the city." There was a look of determination on his face, but it masked something from him.

"Hey. Are you going to be ok?" Elsa put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine." He dismounted and helped her down. "I just never thought I'd see that place again."

**And there it is. At the very latest the next chapter will be up Sunday, and you get to explore the ruins of Jassiney with the pair. As always, feel free to review or message me. See you all soon!**


	15. A Father's Reconciliation

Elsa

It didn't take Corvino long to find a tunnel into the city. He explained he had to know all of them. If his memory was correct, this particular one would have taken them to the barracks. The former assassin's recollections didn't fail him as soon enough, he was peeking out from behind a secret door into a courtyard. Finally, he led her out, and they hugged the wall until they entered a building.

It appeared to be a small house, with three bedrooms, a stove and a living area. Nothing more than simple, she wondered the story behind the building itself. There obviously was one that related to Corvino personally, for when he got his bearings, he became quieter than usual. Elsa saw a slightly pained look cross his face for a moment before he started digging around the small building. "What is it?" She didn't expect anything from Corvino, who seemed to internalize his thoughts when they started into the tunnels.

He surprised her when he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, where are my manners. Elsa, welcome to what was my childhood home."

"You grew up in the barracks?" She didn't expect him to keep his word when he told her the previous night he was going to try to not keep secrets from her.

"Yes. Father was the guard-captain, and close friend of the king, as was my mother." He paused for a moment before something snapped his focus back. "We won't be here long."

Elsa looked out and noticed that night was beginning to fall. "Could we stay here? We have been travelling all day." The journey was already starting to take it's toll on the queen.

Corvino paused again, this time obviously having an internalized argument with Esmerelle. Finally, he spoke. "You can. I have some things to check out." He began to produce from his bag a fair amount of supplies that to her looked like thieves tools. "You seemed to have forgotten that the Shadow worked with burglary jobs."

"Wait, you're leaving me here?" She seemed annoyed more than surprised that he was going to run off on his own.

"Just for a bit, then I'll come back. If you can, try to stay up as we will work tomorrow night. As for being found, you don't have to worry about it. Melina knew I hated this place and what it represented." The words sounded dark, and Elsa grabbed his shoulder.

"Talk to me about it. I need to repay you for listening to me last night."

Corvino paused, then moved over to a wall and sat. His voice was soft as he told stories of growing up, how his father was not often around due to his duties, and then when his father was around, playing favorites with Thorin. Most of these stories took the pair late into the night, and Elsa felt her eyes getting droopy. Noticing this, Corvino put out a bedroll for her. She was just getting comfortable when there was a clattering outside.

The former assassin sprang to action, extinguishing what little light they had. He then seemed to melt into the shadows, and Elsa decided to hide in a room, one that she had been informed earlier in the night was his and Thorin's. A man stumbled into the ruined house, his chestnut hair grown and disheveled, his similarly colored beard thick as if it had been let go for years. The man looked around and saw the bags left by the travelers and produced a longsword from within the folds of his cloak.

He moved over to the bag that Corvino had left, and started poking around them. It was in this moment that the former assassin struck, appearing from the darkness and pressed a blade to the man's throat.

Corvino

All the former assassin recognized was the man's blade. He sized the stranger up, and prepared his strike. The stranger went right for Corvino's tools.

Corvino stepped towards the man and put a knife to his throat. "You're going to back away from the table at my prompting and then you're going to tell me where the hell you got that blade." Corvino knew his tone was dark from the quip Esmerelle sent him.

"As soon as you tell me what the hell you are doing back in my house." The man's voice was gruff. The tone was brusque, but it flooded his mind with memories. There was no way this man was...Corvino wheeled the man around, and studied him. There was no mistaking the brown eyes that looked back at him. The man spoke first. "Hello, Corvino."

"Bloody hell." Corvino couldn't believe his eyes. "Of course it would be you. Well, at least you look like shit."

"And you're still a little shit. What's your point?" The man shot back. "Is that any way to greet the man that raised you?"

Elsa

Her jaw must have hit the floor. The more realistic answer was she might have made a noise, but Elsa was floored when she heard the statement. Both men looked in her direction before Corvino assured her it was alright to come out.

"Hell of a place to bring a girl, don't you think?" If this was Corvino's father, she understood where the former assassin got his wit.

"It's a long story. Before we get into it, Marcus, this is Elsa. Elsa, this is Marcus. This is the man that throughout my childhood I called 'father.'" Corvino used the word with almost disdain.

"Well, it looks like we have a lot to talk about. You still prefer the rum? I think I might have a bottle around here." Marcus shuffled around the house, before pulling out a dusty bottle and old glasses. "Now. What are you doing here?"

"No. This has to start from when we left." Corvino took a long drink. "Well, as you know, I parted ways with you and Thorin in the city to get mom and Caylee out."

"May your mother rest in peace." Both men slightly raised their glasses and took a drink. "Go on."

"Well, with the help of Duncan, I got Caylee out, but Mom went down fighting, as you know. She wasn't going to live while she knew that you and Thorin may have died. Funny how that worked out." The last statement drew a sorrowful grunt from the older man. "Well, when we got out of Jassiney, Duncan took care of Caylee. He gave me some provisions and sent me on my way to put my life back together."

From there, Corvino recounted his days of sailing the high seas, and Esmerelle hatching. He then continued on to the search for the knowledge of raising a dragon, his sidetrack in Arendelle, and then his adventures leading him to Arendelle a second time, and reuniting with his siblings. He then explained why him and Elsa were here now He was surprised when Corvino mentioned the identity of the Witch-Queen. He was even more surprised when he realized that Elsa was a queen herself.

"Wait a minute. You brought the bloody queen here?" He looked as if he were to burst.

"Don't lecuture me. That wasn't my call. In case you have forgotten while you've been truly living with a death wish, Thorin's kinda big." Corvino's response shot out almost as fast as Marcus finished his statement. Elsa could tell the two didn't get along. "Also, I'm waiting for it to register in your brain that I'm now working with Thorin to restore the Knights."

"Pickings for potential candidates are kind of slim." Marcus replied.

"This is just great. Of all the people to survive, it just has to be you." Corvino stood up and went to leave to house.

"Wait." To everyone's surprise, Corvino stopped at the door. Marcus's tone became softer. "I didn't mean that. Even though none of you were my blood, I claimed to be the father of all three of you, and I've been a rather shitty one to you. I...That's about as good as you're going to get from me now. If it were before the world went to hell, maybe this conversation would have gone differently."

Corvino lowered his head to stare at the ground. Elsa watched him slowly turn around and look up. "It may not make up for everything, but it's a start. Thorin and Caylee will be ecstatic to know you still live. Even if because you're just too damn stubborn to die."

"Sounds like someone I know." Elsa spoke up for the first time, looking at the two. They weren't related by blood, but she could tell that there was a lot of Marcus in Corvino. "You didn't tell him of how you nearly got yourself killed in Redbrooke."

Marcus turned to regard the queen. "That's nothing new. Corvino always fought with a chip on his shoulder." His brown eyes studied the queen. "So, what are you two planning to do here? And don't think you're going to leave me on the sidelines."

"We're going to get into the Hall of tales, and eventually The Vault." Corvino stated.

"With those? You're an idiot. The vault doesn't open by conventional means." Marcus went right back to the brusque mask that he had when he first apppeared. "Tell you what. I'll sneak out and get what info I can about the vault. You two stay here and rest. I insist." The offer shut out whatever objections Corvino was going to give, and Elsa was glad. She was even happier when Corvino actually stayed put.

Corvino

_Of all the people here, and that relic survives._ If this was the way his luck was going to be, this trip was not going to bode well.

_Your father is definitely an interesting man. I wonder what he'll be like when we return him to civilization._

"Corvino? You awake in there?" Elsa's voice pulled him away from the dragon and his mind.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I was asking how you were taking the finding out that your father is alive." Elsa stated.

"Well, he has to re-earn that title with me. That's about it. That said, if I can turn my life around and strive to become a Draconic Knight, he can have the chance to fix things." _It's the very least I can do._

"Well, we should get some rest. We've talked most of the night away, and you did say you wanted to get to work this evening." Elsa turned towards the bedroll, but Corvino stood in the doorway.

Soon enough the queen was snoring, and Corvino left her alone in the house. He had to make one stop before leaving Jassiney, and he knew that he couldn't make it when he was finished here. He walked through the streets, keeping aware of his surroundings. He finally found a place that to his surprise was buried in rubble. There were char marks on the rubble, as if it had burned. Corvino lost track of time as his mind walked back in his memories. A voice pulled him back.

"I saw her off when they sent the armies after the resistance. I owed her that much." Marcus put a hand on Corvino's shoulder.

"It's funny. It's because of her that I didn't outright kill you when I found out who you were." the former assassin stated. "She was always telling me to give you a new chance."

"Well, let this be the last chance you give me. I don't want to let you down anymore." The former guard-captain's voice was somber.

"No. This won't be the last chance I give you. A fair share of those times, I just walked away." Corvino turned to the older man. "There's no walking away this time. I'm not sure if I'll ever call you father again, but like it or not, family is the people you hold close. Mom loved you more than the world, and she loved me. I'm not entirely stupid. I know how it tore her up inside when we fought."

"When we get back to Arendelle, we will sort this out as best we can. I promise you that." Marcus seemed to have a look of regret in his eyes.

"There's no need to promise. It's an agreement. Something like needs both to participate." The two men fell silent again. Corvino's memories brought his mother to the forefront. Her warm smile, her emerald eyes, her auburn hair. Finally, Corvino broke the silence. "Thank you for seeing her off. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't carrion."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, father and son walked back to a home side by side, and when Corvino returned, he made sure Elsa was fine, then set out his own bedroll and found sleep soon after.

Elsa

The queen woke up to find the Corvino bent over a map on an old table. Marcus was packing for the journey to Arendelle and discussing a plan with Corvino at the same time. She saw Marcus pull out a lockbox and try to pack it into the bag unsuccessfully.

"Here." Corvino grabbed it and put it in the folds of his cloak. The small chest seemed to disappear. "One of the advantages of umbral magic. Storing items in shadows."

The plan was simple. Take a tunnel from the barracks into the palace. The problem was the potential amount of troops in the way. "The first stop is the Hall of Tales. It's protected, so if we can get in undetected, it buys us some time. After that, we head to the the dungeons to spring Anna and Caylee. That's going to be one hell of a fight." Corvino stated.

"Good. I have been meaning to put a dent in the bitch's troop count," Marcus spat.

"How long of a window do we have?" Elsa was more anxious to get Anna and get out of there.

"We will be out of here by dawn." Corvino stated. There was something he wasn't saying, but she didn't pursue.

The trio prepared themselves, and soon left the house. Marcus took a moment to say goodbye to the home he shared with the woman he loved. The tunnel was dark, so Elsa held onto Corvino's cloak to keep from getting lost. Soon enough they found themselves inside the castle, and Corvino seemed to melt into the shadows. Marcus helped the queen sneak through the hallways, and occasionally she would see the former assassin in the dim torchlight. Soon they reached a set of grand double doors. Corvino opened one softly and let the other two in before closing the door behind him.

"Welcome to the hall of tales. The oldest and largest library in the world." As Corvino introduced her to the location, she felt a slight pang of jealousy. This made her library look like a mere bookstore.

She stuck close to Corvino as he made his way through the library. A metallic humanoid being approached them. She stifled her surprise as it spoke, "Welcome back to the Hall of Tales, Master Al'Draco. It has been quite some time." The being's voice was monotonous.

"Owain. I didn't expect you to be functional." Corvino's voice reflected his surprise.

"I am here to serve. The wards of the library have kept the traitor and the unwelcome out. How may I assist you?" the curious being tilted it's head.

"I need to find a particular piece of lore on the Draconic Knights. Specifically a cavern with a clutch of eggs." Corvino stated

"No such record exists in the library, but what you are looking for is in the vault. I implore you, please take the contents of the vault if you can. It would be a shame if the unworthy were to get a hold of it." Despite the monotone, there was genuine concern in the being's voice.

"But I thought the vault couldn't be opened except by Jassinian royalty?"

"There is a security measure. In an emergency situation, one born of Jassiney who still remains loyal to her will be able to open it." The being clarified.

"Take me to it." the trio followed what the former assassin explained as "The Chronicler," the guardian of the Hall, to the vault. When they got there, she saw a massive door with no handle, knob or lock. "Ok, Owain. What do I do?"

"The door is powered by blood and magic. How is left up to the one that opens it." the former assassin just nodded.

Corvino created a small knife with shadow. He then cut his palm and made sure he got his blood on it. He threw the knife at the vault, and there was an audible **KER-CHUNK!** as the vault began to open. He used magic to heal the wound. Corvino and Marcus stepped inside, but when Elsa tried to enter, Owain stopped her.

"It's best you stay out there. Magic and what not." Corvino said. Elsa had a big view of the room from where she stood, so she didn't protest.

Inside the vault were some very dusty books, various treasures, and a large tapestry. That was the first thing that Corvino and Marcus grabbed. When Elsa inquired, the two explained that it was the lineage of the kings of Jassiney. Corvino was going to examine it when they returned to Arendelle. They then grabbed some of the books. Elsa watched as the shadow-mage stored everything in the shadows of his cloak. Marcus then left the vault, with Corvino in tow when a hidden door popped open.

"What is that?" Corvino asked the chronicler.

"I do not know. I am afraid that I do not know all of the contents of the vault." The construct replied.

Corvino looked in and pulled out several items. He didn't catalog them, he just grabbed them and left. The trio left the Hall of Tales and began their way down to the dungeon. Halfway there, they saw a sentry who began to raise the alarm. Corvino cut it off with a dagger. Soon enough there were guards pouring in, and the trio held their own. Elsa couldn't help but be impressed with Marcus, who certainly held his own in combat. The outpouring of guards ceased and she thought the group was in the clear when she heard a familiar voice speak.

"Welcome, sister. You shouldn't have come." Elsa turned around and she felt a shiver throughout her spine. Anna stood at the end of the hallway with Caylee, except that something was very, very wrong.

**DUN DUN DUN! There's the brain splatter for the week! So now we have insight to Corvino's relationship to his dad, but what's up with Anna? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out. As always, feel free to Review or shoot me a message! See you soon!**


	16. A Dark Reunion

Corvino

"Caylee?" the words escaped his mouth the same time Elsa whispered her sister's name. Iizkulbrii had grown a bit, but Caylee was his focus. Something was wrong. There was a dark look on her face. One that he couldn't place.

"Welcome home, brother. Took you long enough." Her tone was dark.

_Izzy just sent me an image of Caylee being brainwashed. Psychological torture. The dragon is confused, but your sister is out for your blood._

"Lovely" the word softly exited his lips as he drew his blades. "I don't know what stories you have been told, but they are false."

Caylee drew twin blades and Corvino recognized she had her own glaive-sword. _That's new._ "So long I had been pining for you to return. To become a family again. Now, I just want you to pay for abandoning me when I needed you. Our family fell apart because of you. You let mom go, you let dad go crazy, and you let Thorin go all noble."

Corvino chuckled, and connected his blades. He began a flourish and paused, egging her to attack.

Brother and sister engaged in swordplay unlike any they had before.

Elsa

"Anna?" The queen felt defeated. Here was her sister, walking towards them Caylee making a beeline for her brother. Anna had a wicked looking shield and longsword. Both were drawn.

"Welcome to the city that contains your grave, dear sister. I will kill you." Before Elsa could register the sentence, she was bringing her blade to bear, blocking her sister's attacks. Somewhere, somehow, Anna received training, and she was a lot better than when Elsa had last seen the princess.

"Why are you doing this? Anna, I'm your sister!" the queen pleaded.

"Shut up." A swift kick to the gut emphasized the response. Elsa tumbled and when she righted herself took a shot to the face from her sister's shield. _What's going on? Why is she doing this._ Elsa tried to remember her training, but her mind and heart wanted to break down. She had only felt a feeling of dispair like this one other time in her life, and that was when Anna had seemingly sacrificed herself two and a half years earlier.

The queen did her best to hold off the newly aggressive sister, until Anna finally blocked swing with her shield and stabbed the queen in the stomach. Pain exploded through Elsa as she looked down in shock and horror. She fell to the ground, looking up at the red-haired woman, who kicked the queen's blade away from her.

The princess began to speak as the queen began to feel faint from blood loss. "I've been waiting for a long time to do this. Why should you be queen? You shut us in the palace before your coronation. I'm going to give Arendelle a real queen." Anna raised her blade to bring it down.

The last thing the queen saw was a blur rush in, a shower of sparks, and concerned steel eyes.

Corvino

Marcus began to take on the seemingly endless troops that came in, but Corvino and Caylee were pressing each other. Out of the corner of his eye, the former assassin began to see that Elsa was no match for Anna. This was bad.

_I am en route, but I will need some time. Damn balistas._

_Fry them. Just get here safely, my friend._ Corvino began focusing and analyzing his sister's movements.

"I know what you're doing, and it won't work. You taught me everything I know. You're analyzing me for a weakness." The comment was smug. Corvino seperated his blades and began an offensive. The smug look disappeared as Caylee realized he just pulled something unexpected. She began to frantically block and parry attacks. Every so often, sparks would fly from the intensity of the strikes. Finally, the brother grabbed his sister's glaive sword, twisting it to disarm her.

The former assassin raised a blade to her neck. "I taught you everything you know, that doesn't mean that I taught you everything I know." He dropped the blade, and delivered a knockout blow to her temple. "That'll be one hell of a headache when you wake up, so I pray you'll forgive me."

His focus was broken when he heard Elsa cry out. A knot formed in his stomach as he turned around. Anna was removing her blade from the queen, whose blue armor was stained crimson. _This is not good._

The princess raised her blade over her head and he leapt into action, blocking the hit and kicking her away. He quickly put enough healing magic in the queen to stop the bleeding, but he could tell that she needed real healing.

Corvino stood to face Anna. She had a smug look on her face. "Ooh. Is the scary man going to hurt me?" Something obviously wasn't registering.

"I'm going to beat some bloody sense into you. You never turn on family." His anger manifested in the form of a growl as he spoke.

"Says the man who just knocked out his sister." Anna charged after the statement, hoping to catch the former assassin off guard. She didn't.

Corvino rolled with the charge and began launching quick strikes. It became blantantly obvious that Anna had received training, and she was able to handle Elsa, and maybe even Kristoff. Anna was up against Corvino Al'Draco, however, and because of this he knew he could subdue her.

Marcus cried out somewhere nearby, and Corvino lost his focus for one second. Anna took the opportunity to disarm him. "Yield. The Queen would like to talk to you."

Corvino fired off a quick healing spell to Marus, who kept defending. He seemed to be getting to the end of his share. The former assassin faced the fallen princess, and found himself beginning to laugh darkly. It was something he hadn't seen in a long time, and wished it hadn't come out. The line between passion and control had been crossed. There was no containing "The Killer," and it was only a matter of time before the bloodlust needed to be sated.

"You have no idea what you have unleashed. The lot of you." Shadows grew and grabbed Anna, raising her slightly off the ground. He walked over to her, and paused as he saw a dark blur. A wyrmling tried to stop him, and his mind registered, slowing the transformation into his darker side. "A wyrmling. Now this is interesting." He threw a knockout blow to Anna, and the shadows let her drop. The wyrmling went to her. It eyed him warily.

He ignored it and ran over to Marcus, who was leaning against a wall. A fair number of goblins surrounded him as there was a rumble and then a crash as Esmerelle burst through the wall.

Esmerelle

The emerald-colored dragon burst on the scene and saw the carnage for herself. The girls were all unconscious, two with dragons tending to them. Corvino was tending to the man who the dragon viewed has the father of her best friend.

Marcus looked up. "So this is your dragon?"

"Aye. Marcus, meet Esmerelle. Esmerelle, this is Marcus." Corvino introduced the two.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances." the dragon began to see something forming in the man's mind.

_The pleasure will be all mine when we all get out of here._ She projected it so that Corvino became clued into what the dragon observed.

"What do you mean under these circumstances." Corvino looked at the man and Esmerelle saw the similarities in the stubborness of the two.

"Well, I'm staying behind so you can get away. You play the hero, save the queen, the princess, and your sister. That was always the plan." There was a tired look in the older man's eyes.

"Oh no you don't." Corvino delivered a third knockout blow, which startled the dragon. He then created walls of shadow on the doors into the room. "You're going to listen to me carefully. Get them all out. The bitch can't keep track of all of the rat tunnels in the city."

S_o you're going to play the hero then? What happens if you don't make it? Your snow-queen would be angry she didn't see her dashing rogue go out in a blaze of glory._ She knew that she was hiding the true meaning behind the statement and that Corvino knew what she meant.

"Won't happen. I have something I need to get out of my system, and that means fighting my way out of the city. Besides, when you drop them off at Arendelle, you head straight back and get me." He began securing Caylee and Elsa in the saddle, continuing to work as he talked. "I'd be a lot worse if I were to leave like this."

_What of the new wyrmling?_

"Take him with. He shouldn't be separated from Anna. He's been imprinted to Anna." Corvino stated, as he grabbed a bottle. He walked back over to Anna, and put a few drops into her mouth, and did the same for Marcus. "That's so they don't wake up in flight. That'd be a bad thing."

_Agreed. I believe the term is "Freaking out."_

"That's a bad thing. Esmerelle, make haste. Elsa needs healing, bad." There was concern in the man's voice as he said that, and the dragon nodded, gingerly picking up both Marus and Anna.

_Fly with me, little ones. I'm going to take your companions to safety._ The last Esmerelle saw of her partner that night was the shadow barriers breaking and the room filling with soldiers fast.

Corvino

His companion took to the air as the barriers broke down. Goblins came in the room from both sides, and his blades appeared in his hands. A deep breath filled his lungs and he closed his steel-colored eyes. When he exhaled, his eyes flitted open, revealing black orbs. His worries were gone, knowing that everyone that needed to live had left with Esmerelle. He began his dance of death, fighting with such brutality that black and crimson liquid sprayed everywhere with each swing.

He made his way out of the room and out to a viaduct that ran along the river. His escape plan was simple, kill enough to sate the bloodlust, then jump the falls at the bottom. There was a secret cave he could rest in, and then he would continue on his way.

Running along the viaduct was a challenge, with crossbow quarrels and arrows whistling around him. He sheathed his blades along the way, and jumped when he got to the end. He created a shadow orb when he hit the water to cover his escape. Swimming through the water, he found the cavern, and stepped back on land. He began drying off when a voice spoke to him, making his blood run cold.

"I would have thought you would have neglected the obvious and heroic." The Witch-Queen stood there, her blades out and ready.

"You've got to be kidding me. Of course this would happen." Corvino raised his.

They clashed in the darkness of the cave. They pushed each other to the limits, and Corvino knew that exhaustion was starting to seep in. His ex-lover kicked him down the cave until he finally came to a rest.

"Oh, poor Corvino. What are we going to do with you? You're no hero. You're just a man who excels at dealing death. You have become weak. While you went out and tried to play hero, I mastered the art of shadowcrafting. I am darkness, I am your doom."

The man struggled to get his surroundings, and saw something out of the corner of his eyes. Dawn. He was not far from the exit into the wilds. All he had to do was coax her near it. "You forgot to mention putting my life back together, Melina."

"Don't call me that!" She kicked him again in the stomach while he was on his hands and knees. He rolled a little farther, feigning some weakness. "I am now Tarja, The Queen of Darkness. I will bring you back to the life you left, and you will be welcomed again."

Corvino knew he was close enough now. He rose and faced her. "Well then, Tarja. Thank you. I can now put the memory of my love to rest. One other thing I should note." Beams of light hit the woman, pushing her against the wall of the cave. She began to struggle against the light. "You're not the only one who has been learning."

Corvino walked over to the woman and stared at her. The physical features were Melina, but any of her soul, her love of life, and her original being was gone, replaced by this monster. "I won't kill you now. You spared my life on the field of battle once, I shall return the favor. Get comfortable, as that won't dispel until nightfall." He began to walk towards the exit, but paused. "For the record, you can't break someone who has pieced things back together for themselves."

Leaving that thought, Corvino Al'Draco stepped out into the sunlight, and looked for the next challenge the long day was going to present him with.

Esmerelle

The dragon finally landed in Arendelle. She flew as fast as she was able to with both of the young dragons riding on her as well. The trip back took most of the day, as she didn't stop for anything.

Thorin was the first to greet her in Arendelle. He assured that Caylee, Elsa and Marcus would be taken care of, and he locked Anna up. Esmerelle had found out that unlike Caylee, Anna had mind-control magic used on her. As soon as things were situated there, Esmerelle took off like an emerald bolt against the blue sky. There was only one thing on her mind, rescuing her friend. Her wings began to ache, but she pressed on. She had to push herself farther, and she knew that she could get away with sleeping for a week afterwards.

Corvino

The little hits were starting to appear. Exhaustion was in full swing against Corvino as he made his way through scoress of goblins. "The Killer" was even struggling to keep up with the outpouring of goblins.

A full day of fighting. That was what Corvino was going on, barely stopping to rest. Every so often he would feel a sting from a glancing blow, and with each one, he thanked his lucky stars that it didn't cut deep. But those hits were becoming more and more common, and he was running out of time. Thankfully, the goblins were running out of bravery.

Finally, he got a chance to rest. Everything hurt. He sat on a rock near a bluff. It was called the leap of faith, a place where dragons and knights would test their bond. The knight would run off the bluff and jump. The dragon would fly by and catch their counterpart.

That wasn't on Corvino's mind however, as he sat on the rock drinking his last skin of water. He was basically out of provisions, and the taste of goblin didn't appeal to him.

A man's voice pulled him out of his worries. "Well, well, well. What have we here. The mighty Corvino Al'Draco."

Corvino looked up to see a man with copper hair, pronounced sideburns and a smug look on his face. "You must be the idiot that took my sloppy seconds." Satisfied with the man's reaction, the former assassin began to size up his new adversary.

"My name, is King Hans Westergaard. You would do well to remember that." Corvino saw that the quip had gotten to the man and began trying to buy time.

"Well, Westergaard. How does it feel knowing that I had the pleasure of both bedding her first and doing it before the damned bitch became bloody insane?"

The response he got was Hans charging with a rapier. The two began their duel, and it was apparent that the king had formal training. The former assassin began to think of alternative ways to defeat his foe, and observed it was close to dusk. Even if he was able to get away in the dark, Corvino began to wonder how long it would be until he was found again. He refocused on the problem at hand, choosing to "Allow" Hans to disarm him.

"Just as I expected. Weak." the king raised a blade to the former assassin's neck. "You know what? I do feel for you. I thought I could save her. She was beautiful when my father captured her, but she ran away once I had nursed her back to health. She was so full of hate and vengence that I couldn't follow her into Velkor. So I went back home to my family. I tried to harmlessly scheme my way onto the throne of Arendelle, but that fell through. Not only that, I was humiliated.

"I found myself returning to Velkor, where Tarja regained power. She offered a sort of repayment for healing her. Power. She wanted to take over the world and had some troops to do it. She wanted to make Arendelle her first target, and I redily agreed and called in Lord Hoban of Weselton. I presume he's dead?"

"Quite." _Does this guy ever shut up?_

A familiar prescence toucht Corvino's mind_ I am near, little one._

"Now things are coming full circle. I get to kill the man who took my father from me." Hans smiled evilly.

"Wow. You really are your father's son." Corvino threw out the line, hoping Hans would bite.

"How so?" _Bingo! I might actually pull this off._

"When I killed your father, he failed to account for one very important detail: He wasn't aware of the surroundings, or the fact that I had the dagger that I killed him with in my hand. You, King Westergaard," He said the words with sarcasm. "Forgot to notice two very important things. The first is it's nightfall. My shadow magic is heightened."

"I've taken that into account. What's the other thing I supposedly failed to notice?" He was annoyed.

"Her." Esmerelle's roar split the night, and Corvino unleashed a blast of shadow at Hans, knocking him into a nearby tree. Shadows returned Corvino's blades to his hands as he jumped off. Esmerelle had him in the saddle almost as soon as she had caught him.

Esmerelle

The dragon flew to the bluff. The timing would have to be perfect. She made her approach quickly, roaring to signal that it was time. She saw her companion blast his attacker with shadow, and then jump off, sheathing his blades. She caught him with her claw, then gently used her mouth to put him in the saddle. Having him there felt right, and the dragon felt complete again.

She craned her neck back to look at him as she sped to Arendelle. _I'm happy to see that you still live, little one._

"I'm too stubborn to die, remember?" The wry grin returned to his face. "A timely rescue helps though."

_I reached speeds that I didn't know was possible on the way there and the way back._ She moved her head back to focus on her flight on her flight path.

"Looks like we'll have to train more together." The comment rang true, but she could sense the exhaustion. "Maybe. Not now, though."

_No. Now you need your rest, little one. Secure yourself so I can make haste. You will be needed when we arrive._ She told him of how she returned to find Pabbie exhausted by healing soldiers

"Alright." Corvino secured himself in the saddle. "If something comes up, wake me."

_Just one thing, little one. Promise me that you'll let me sleep for a week after this._

The statement drew a chuckle from the man. "Absolutely. If anyone deserves a rest, it's you."  
_That doesn't mean you shouldn't rest while you can now. _The dragon hoped that he would listen and rest. Thankfully, it wasn't long until she felt him slip into dreams.

**Well then. How about that for some plot twists? best part is, there's more to come! As always, feel free to review or message. Until next time!**


	17. Revelation

**Hello Everyone! after a long hiatus, I make my triumphant return! I've been busy with the end of the semester for school and work that I have been exhausted, and for that I apologize. That said, I return with a new chapter and I have a few ideas kicking around the old noggin. Without further ado, here's the new chapter.**

Elsa

The queen woke up with a deep breath of air. She saw Pabbie and a few trolls nearby. She looked around and tried to get up. "Anna? Corvino?"

"Rest, my queen. You've had a rough day." He pushed her back into the bed.

She realized she was in her room. "How did I get here?"

"You were brought here by Esmerelle, along with Anna, Caylee, and one other man I do not recognize." Elsa assumed he meant Marcus.

"Anna. Is she alright?" she tried to get up, but pain shot through her in her stomach.

"She is healed, though she sleeps in a peculiar manner. It's a sleeping poison that runs through her body, one that I am not familiar with. Master Bjorgman hasn't left her side since you all arrived." Elsa felt envy cross her heart. She had hoped for someone here by her side like Kristoff was for her sister.

"Corvino's work?" Elsa asked.

"Likely. He likely has the antidote for it or can make it himself." Pabbie responded.

"What about him? Where is he?" She asked.

"I don't know. He did not arrive with you. The dragon made a hasty exit after dropping you all off. He probably sent you all ahead of him because he could defend himself." The troll turned and dismissed his aides. "Unless you have other questions, we are needed elsewhere."

The queen couldn't help but wonder if the man was still alive. "What about the other two?"

"Caylee will be fine. As for the other man, I don't know. I have him stabilized, but with the work we have been doing, we might not be able to keep up." The queen nodded. Pabbie turned toward the door. "Olaf will be in soon to check up on you."

The troll left the queen to her thoughts. Painful memories started to come back as she remembered the fight with Anna. She couldn't remember seeing anger like that in her sister before, and began to wonder if she had done something wrong.

Olaf roused the monarch out of her thoughts. "Elsa? You ok?"

The queen smiled weakly. "I'll live, Olaf." She did her best to hug the peculiar little snowman. "How are things here?"

"There have been raids, looters and such. Pabbie seems to be exhausted trying to keep up with everything. Why is this all happening?" The snowman looked at her sadly.

"I don't know, Olaf. I wish I knew." Her voice was soft. How could she deal with this if the situation was too close to home? She had always been able to make the hard decisions before, but things were more complicated with Anna, not to mention Corvino. She began to wonder where he was, praying he was safe.

They seemed to be answered with a roar off in the distance. Olaf ran to the window excitedly. "Is that them? I think that's them!" Elsa again tried to get up, but Olaf saw her. "I'll go get help."

Corvino

He was roused from his dreams from Esmerelle landing. The former assassin was greeted by his brother almost instantaneously. "Where am I needed?"

"Well, Caylee is fine, just a little woozy from the knock to the head. Elsa and dad have been in line for healing, the queen refusing to take preferential treatment. Speaking of dad, how the hell did he stay alive?" Noting the shrug Corvino gave, he continued. "Anna is still out, Pabbie spoke of some sort of sleeping draught."

"Of which I have the antidote for. It causes a hibernation-like state." Corvino started. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eyes when suddenly he was thrown against a wall.

"How could you do this to her? Will she live? What's wrong with her?" The bear paws that Kristoff called hands were pressing the smaller man against the wall. People in the courtyard began panicking.

"She's not herself, Kristoff." Corvino stopped. How was he going to explain this magic to the ice master if he didn't fully understand it himself?

"You come off as the hero, saving everyone before yourself, but you drugged the princess, and all four people you sent back were not able to respond." Kristoff threw Corvino across the courtyard. Thankfully, Esmerelle wasn't interfering. Had the dragon tried, it would have made the situation worse.

"Kristoff, don't go down this road with me right now. I have things to do." Corvino turned, but a big hand grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around. The former assassin had enough reflexes to take a grazing blow from the other man's fist. "We're doing this, then."

Kristoff kept throwing punches towards the smaller man, missing with most of them. Corvino on the other hand, didn't try to fight back. He had done plenty of that within the past few days. He finally swept the bigger man's legs from underneath him. Sven grunted in concern and ran over to his friend. Corvino stood and began to walk away. His luck held up as the reindeer kept the Ice Master down.

The former assassin paused, and turned back. The crowd was gathered around, and Corvino hated that. "Find me when you regain your head, Master Bjorgman. I will explain all I know over stiff drink."

Corvino left the crowd, but took note of a pair of striking blue orbs as he left. He made his way through the palace, ignoring everyone. It wasn't until he turned the corner to find Kristoff waiting for him.

"I'm sorry about that," he began.

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I understand she's important to you. You must think that I only saved her because of Elsa." Corvino stated.

"Yes, but you are only human, after all. In the meantime, I'll take you up on that drink." He flashed a soft smile.

"Agreed. I think we all could use a stiff one." He led the bigger man to his room, and poured a couple glasses. Kristoff had a seat at the table as Corvino began working.

"If I seem distracted, it's because I'm making a new batch of the healing draught. I used the last bottle to heal on the flight home." It was as much a warning as it was a plea for understanding.

"That's fine." The other man sipped his drink and listened to the recount of the story from when the former assassin and the queen entered the city until he sent Esmerelle off without him. When he finished, Kristoff sighed. "So what do we do?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know anything about mind control magic. It's a tactic that I feel is repulsive. There are other ways to achieve control of someone besides magic. To me, something about that school of magic seems wrong, as does most of the world." Corvino put something on a small burner, then sat down across the table. "I know that if we're too aggressive combating it, her mind can shatter. It's a risk I don't want to take, and I'm not sure you do either."

Kristoff nodded. "So what do we do?" The question came again.

"We're going to have to do some research. I will look at the library here, but I'm not sure there's relevant research material here." The smaller man took a drink. "Travel may be required to find what we need."

"And I assume you're the one to do it?" the question came out as more of a challenge, but Corvino just let it pass.

"Most likely. I will stay until the queen is healed. As much as I'd like to, I can't go to Jassiney for my research, which means that more exotic travel locations are needed." He wished he had the resources of the Hall of Tales available to him.

"What will we do while you're gone?" The familiar voice seemed to have a calming effect on the former assassin, who visibly relaxed. He seemed to be able to feel the ice blue eyes on him. He turned to face her.

Elsa

She saw Corvino visibly relax. "Well, Thorin will stay here to aid in possible combat situations. For now, the focus should be on re-building." Corvino knew she was here for more than to just talk about future plans.

Kristoff seemed to pick up on it as well. "I should go check on Anna." He left the two in the room.

The former assassin stood and helped the queen to a chair. She moved gingerly. "You look tired." her voice was soft.

"I'll live. I can sleep when I'm dead." the statement drew a look of concern from the queen. "Don't worry. I got what sleep I could on the flight here.

"What didn't you tell him?" Elsa looked at the man.

"Anything after I sent everyone ahead of me. It's not relevant." Corvino went to check on the new batch of healing draughts.

"I'm a queen. Not some tavern wench. I'm not stupid, Corvino."

He chuckled. "That you are not, but it does us no good to dwell on things at the expense of now." He began to pour the draught into vials, and gave one to her. "Here. Drink this."

It tasted awful. She forced herself to swallow it, and she saw a glass in her hand. She wasn't surprised that it was rum, considering that was the closest drink handy, but she was surprised that the sweet liquor took some of the bite off. "Thanks."

"Look. I can't guarantee anything, but I do know that the best thing you can do is to get yourself back to full heath." He took another drink, but looked out to the cliffs where Esmerelle was no doubt resting. "Esmerelle needs a week of full rest. During this time I will be scouring the library and trying to figure out what was done to Anna. That and wake her and Marcus."

"What did you do to them?" Elsa couldn't remember anything from before the combat. When she tried to think about it, she felt defeated. She was hoping that Corvino would train more with her.

"Sleeping draught. Creates a hibernation-like state. Although I'm not sure about waking up Anna." He sighed. "I don't know how deep the magic runs. It's not like a good knock on the head will break it."

"Something about that would be a little too convenient. So what do we do in the mean time? I can't imagine that she'll be able to survive for long without sustenance." She saw genuine concern on the man's face.

"I'm gonna have to wake her, but I don't know fully the repercussions of that."

"I would like to be able to talk to her as soon as I can." Elsa tried to look regal, but the stress of the past few days had been taxing on her.

"We can discuss that after you've rested. It will take me time to brew the antidote, and I also have to take these to Marcus and Caylee." He stood and offered his arm. "Need help?"

Elsa stood. Her legs weren't as shaky as they were before, but she still felt weak and tired. She took his help. She was led to her room didn't remember her head hitting the pillow.

Corvino

Corvino walked throughout the castle, making his way passing the health draught to Marcus and Caylee, before returning to his room. When he returned, he began removing the items he took from Jassiney, starting with books and papers. Oh how he wished he could have Esmerelle in his head analyzing with him, but when he reached his mind out, it was obvious that she was asleep.

He began with the tapestry, and while he didn't receive the help of Esmerelle, a familiar shadow crossed the light he had. "Come on in, brother." the sarcastic remark shot out faster than he thought.

"You're in a cheery mood." Thorin shot back. "Figured you could use some help. I'm surprised you know the draconic language."

"Duncan taught me. That and being thrust into it helps." the bigger man understood he meant raising Esmerelle. "I could use help though."

Thorin moved over and the two made sure the tapestry was intact. Then the items from the vault were pulled out. Several books, some artifacts, and finally Corvino pulled out a greatsword. He whistled.

The two brothers looked it over. The craftsmanship was impeccable and it seemed to radiate light. They looked over the blade which was encrusted with diamonds and seemed to have it's own sense of pride. Thorin hefted the blade. "Surprisingly balanced." He swung it around before setting it back on the table.

The next item was a suit of armor that seemed light. The coloring was sky blue. "Brother, is this what I think it is?" Corvino stared at Thorin incredulously.

"Dragonfiber. Lighter than mithril and twice as strong." Thorin studied it. "Think this would fit Caylee."

"I think so. We'll have her try it when she wakes." He then pulled the final items from the vault, a pair of dark bracers that seemed dull and old. It looked like they could conceal small blades. When Corvino reached to touch it, he sensed some magic coursing through it. He coerced it out and found that it created a dagger of shadow that was balanced perfectly for throwing. "Well...this is interesting."

"I don't mean to point out the obvious, but doesn't it seem a little weird that these things were set aside? As if we were meant to find them?" The bigger man shot his brother a look.

"Well, there's one more thing left." The former assassin produced the lock-box that Marcus had wanted to take. The simple lock design was not effective against the man's experience, and he opened it with ease. Inside were three envelopes, each addressed to the siblings.

"Little quick to invade a man's privacy?" The brothers turned around to see Marcus getting help in, and Caylee was behind him.

"I'm curious, and I haven't killed off enough of my lives yet." Corvino's quip drew a smile from the older man. "You two should be resting."

"And miss out on what you have found? Not on your life. For now, pass Caylee her envelope. Then, you can read your respective letters."

Thorin did so, and Caylee opened hers. A necklace fell out as she did, and she looked it over. Corvino didn't need telepathy to know the collective memory that fell over them. It was a necklace that their mother had worn. She was silent as she read it and when she finished, she slowly moved over to the man she called father and hugged him. Corvino observed Thorin read his, before opening his.

"Dear Corvino. There's not much I can say, other than I hope that you found a way to survive. Your mother was always full of surprises and quick-thinking, and I'd like to think that you gained that from her. If you found this letter, then I am most likely dead and you or your siblings for some reason have come back home. If you've come this far for answers, perhaps you'll go a step further. If you can enter the vault in the hall of tales, you'll find a pair of bracers. They will feed off of your shadow magic. I know you will find these useful, and use them in memory of your mother."

The former assassin looked up from the letter and saw Thorin looking over greatsword. Caylee was admiring the armor.. He began to look over the bracers again. They were a perfect fit as he put them on.

"There's more to this. Why did you mention the Vault?" the wheels in Corvino's head started turning.

"I assure you I don't know what you mean." Marcus seemed to be dodging the former assassin's probing.

"My letter mentioned the same thing." Thorin spoke up, backing his brother's skepticism. Caylee mumbled an agreement.

"I wanted you to secure the vault. I knew you'd figure out a way to safely do it." the father stated. "Besides. I thought you all might be interested in the tapestry, now that it's been updated."

"Tapestry's intact." Corvino began.

"Read on, Corvino. As you both know, I wasn't your father by blood." Marcus reminded him of that fact. Their mother had always maintained that she had an affair, but she didn't say with whom.

It was then that Thorin translated: "Thorin Al'Draco. Black of hair, Emerald eyes. Corvino Al'Draco, Black of Hair, Ice colored eyes. Calista Al'Draco. Brown of hair, Emerald Eyes. Thorin to lead the Draconic Knights, Corvino to lead the Shadow, and Caylee to rule Jassiney."

"Wait a minute...if we're on this tapestry, that means..." Corvino began to connect the dots.

"Yes, Corvino. The three of you are royalty."

**Wait a minute...our dashing rogue is really a prince? Ok, I know it's a little cliche, but bear with me here. Also if there are any typos I missed, I posted this about a drink and a half into the night if you catch my drift. That said, feel free to message me with any questions, comments, concerns, problems, or solutions. One more thing. I am now open to requests: Message me with any possible ideas and I will reply to you with my thoughts. The big three I am considering are a modern AU Frozen idea, a frozen x Magic: The Gathering Crossover and a Star Wars x Frozen Crossover. Until next time, readers.**


	18. Recovery

**Hey all, again apologies for the long break. I promise I'll keep up with it this time.**

Elsa

Elsa woke up and found a fair amount of her strength had returned. There was still some pain in her abdomen as if she had been punched hard, but didn't notice any complications as she arose. Her room was empty, save for her. She was able to dress herself and started towards the door when Gerda came in.

"Oh, Milady. I didn't know you were awake already."

"It's alright, Gerda. I just arose. What have I missed?" Elsa took walked with the servant down the stairs to the dining hall.

"Lady Calista and the man that Corvino brought with him are moving, apparently that potion does work wonders" the queen was about to agree with the other woman when she began to feel weak. "My lady, are you alright?"

"Still recovering my strength, I guess. Master Corvino would know more about it. Is he up yet?"

The maid shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of. In fact, nobody's heard from him since last night."

"What happened last night?" The queen took her old friend's help down the stairs.

"Not sure, your highness. Corvino, Thorin and Caylee seemed to have what I can only describe as a family meeting. Don't know about what, though. I figured I'd give them their privacy."

She made her way into the dining hall and sat down awaiting breakfast. She noticed her posture wasn't as regal as she would have liked and tried to fix it. She found that she couldn't just based on how sore she was.

Slowly, Kristoff, Caylee, Marcus and Thorin filed in for breakfast. After some time, it became apparent that Corvino wasn't coming down. When the queen inquired, the Al'Draco family kept quiet. An aspect that infuriated her to no end. Each member of that family that had done so much for hers and her kingdom just kept all their secrets. All except the one who was missing. Finally, Elsa excused herself. She slowly made her way to the former assassin's room only to find that it was empty. Seeing this, she reasoned that there was only one spot left to check. She slowly and at some points painfully made her way up to the spire and the make-shift balcony she had made out of ice.

The man was up there, but instead of the meditation she was used to, he was standing on the edge, leaning against a railing and staring out to the cliffs. The queen didn't need a mental connection to be able to pick up the fact that he was deep in thought.

"You shouldn't have made the trip up here by yourself." the queen cursed him mentally for again knowing that she was there without regarding her.

"It's worth it to make sure you are alright." she could tell that the former assassin had been up all night, but she was surprised when she didn't smell alcohol.

"I'm fine, just...digesting some revalations that came to light." The steely orbs flitted from the blank stare out into the open to a soft gaze into her own sapphire eyes.

"What is it?" Her voice was soft and inviting him to open up.

"Well, as fate would have it, I'm a prince." The statement caused her heart to race.

Corvino

The man studied the queen's face for emotions and saw the surprise he felt when he first found out. He made note of a flash of something that he thought he felt when he first found out, that being some sort of feeling that came from the heart. Esmerelle would have called it love. "Something on your mind, Mi'lady?"

"I'm just...I don't know what to think." Her voice was soft. Quiet. "How?"

"Myself, Thorin and Caylee are children of the king. The queen could not bear children, so a surrogate was needed. By the time Thorin and I were born, there was political unrest in the world, and so we were hidden. By the time Calista was born, Thorin and I were beginning our training for the roles that we would have been groomed to hold until the time was right." He paused. "Thorin to lead the Knights, myself the Shadow. Thorin to be our sister's right hand and me the underhand."Elsa was quiet for a few moments, so he looked out to the city. "They've done a great job rebuilding."

"They have, but don't think you're just going to let this little revelation just slip by." she said the words with sleight annoyance, which made him chuckle softly. "Who knows?"

"You are the first one outside of family who does. Esmerelle doesn't even know." Corvino cut the queen off before she could ask her next question. "Naturally, Esmerelle would have found out via our mind-link, but it's never wise to wake a sleeping dragon. That said, I'm sure Iizkulbrii and Corypheus know."

The queen was quiet, before asking more expected questions. "Why would Caylee have gotten the throne over the two of you? Who's the oldest of the twins? Are there people you can summon for the war?"

"There are people out there, and Thorin would be the best to find most of them. Others will come from favors I will have to call upon." he sighed. "As for why Caylee got the kingdom over us I do not know. I can only think that maybe it was due to some sort of trust issues within the kingdom."

He turned his head back to look at her, and saw those sapphire orbs that were becoming more constant in his mind as of late. He barely registered her saying something but couldn't make what it was. She asked again. "Do I want to know what favors that you could call upon?"

"It's best not to. At least not right now." He paused. "Comes from my unsavory past and certain things I may have to do to get those favors."

"I see." She paused. "Didn't answer my other question."

"Technically I am the oldest. I was born a few minutes before Thorin." He knew the next question.

"So would you take the throne by right of age?"

Another sigh. "I don't know. I...haven't thought about that." Truth was he had, but he didn't want to be tied down to the throne. Not when his heart was most at home in travels. Even then, he felt it questioning if that was what he truly wanted.

"Arendelle to Corvino. You all right?" Elsa's voice drew him out of his mind.

"Yeah. Just thinking. Well, I guess I'll have time to figure it all out. For now, however I need breakfast."

Elsa

There always was more. He was keeping secrets again, but the queen figured that whatever he was pondering was as much a secret to him as it was her. She moved over to him and wrapped around an arm, resting her head against him. "I'm still here for you. You know that, right?"

"Yes. You and a fair amount of other people. I've been receiving support and well wishes from people that I didn't even know from here in Arendelle." He chuckled as he led her down the stairs. "I assume I've missed breakfast, haven't I?"

"You have." she accepted his help on the way down. "We could raid the kitchens if you wish."

"No. I should probably get some rest. I did not sleep last night." He seemed to be spacing. She knew his exhaustion was beginning to take hold.

"Perhaps you should rest." She began to lead him to the stairs, and back into the castle. The two seemed to support each other as they worked their way to his room. He silently retreated into the corridors, but left her with a hug.

She made her way through the castle, trying to gather her surroundings, but she saw scenes that walked her back to her memories with some pain. She saw Marus and Caylee renewing their relationship, Thorin and Kristoff arguing about Anna, Sven and Olaf playing with Marshmallow, who came from the mountain to aid in defense.

Amongst all the bustle, the queen truly felt alone. She found herself slipping away to the library and losing herself in books from the past. Despite Corvino's stories shedding more light on dragons than her library could, she found herself gravitating to a red leather-bound book with a dragon's eye on it. She didn't ever remember seeing this book before, but began reading it with interest. The blonde was so entranced by the tome that when she was informed about lunch, she jumped. She set the book in her room before joining the rest of the table in the dining hall.

Corvino

Sleep was restless. The former assassin's brain was filled with questions. Exhaustion took hold however and soon an observer would have found him snoring. His dreams seemed to be unaware of the stationary state of both him and his dragon, as they seemed to lead the two across the countryside. He saw Redbrooke, still ruined come to view and then fade in the distance behind them. He then saw the wild roads that connected Arendelle to Corona. Then the flight path took them off the roads to a mountain range, where he saw massive caves. His dreams began to center on a being and a dragon whom he could not figure out the identity of.

He began to hear a rumbling, before he sensed Esmerelle. The dragon's consciousness seemed to blanket him as he began to slip back to reality. "I thought you were sleeping for a week."

_I'm pretty sure that was a vision, little one. One that's important enough to stave off some hibernation for._

"Well, there'll be plenty of time to sleep when we are dead." the former assassin let the thought hang in the air, but his mind began to swirl.

_We do have time to reflect though. You seem to be fixated on something._

Corvino again began to wonder. He knew the dragon was waiting for him to bring the thought up instead of being melded with his mind and seeing everything he thought. The statement was evidence enough of that. "My friend, I'm a prince."

_Well if that isn't blunt and to the point. By what right and to where do you claim royalty, pray tell?_

"Jassiney. By birth." Corvino recounted the previous night's events and he felt Esmerelle's shock when he showed the tapestry.

_You're serious...Well, my lord. Where do we start?_

_"_By ceasing to call me that. Without an army that follows me or people to hold me to the title, the sentiment rings hallow." He let the venom drip into his voice more than he wanted to, but he knew that the idea scared him. He didn't know how this was going to affect his future.

Esmerelle began fully reading his mind at that instance. _The future is in motion, little one. Always changing from choices yet to be made. Do not doubt yourself on things that you are not able to directly influence._

The former assassin sat up on the edge of the bed. His thick dark hair fell about him, almost enveloping his head as he held it low. Again, thoughts swirled. "There is so much that I have to do, and I don't know that I can accomplish all of the tasks before me."

Esmerelle.

The dragon marvelled at how complex humans were. They always find new twists that make them unique. Unfortunately, Corvino's uniqueness was also infurating when the former assassin began to dwell on things. _You are too used to doing things by yourself. Now that you are making all these changes you feel responsible for all that has happened to this land. That is not the case. The armies of Velkor would have marched on Arendelle with or without you here. If anything, your arrival has helped more than it has brought more pain._

"What about Anna?" Corvino knew he had to wake her soon. She could see the guilt he felt in his mind. "We need to send someone to go find a way to break the mind-control without shattering her own mind."

_And we will find a way to do so. There are, however, other things that can be handled by others. For example, Thorin and Caylee can train Elsa to be better in combat. In the meantime, Thorin is here to handle the defense, and he has the aid of Corypheus as well. I'm not the only dragon that Arendelle considers a friend._ She paused for a moment, considering who else could be sent for their research. _It may be that we are destined to take this trip ourselves. There are certain people from your past that may help once you get there if you elect to go with secrecy. _

The man's head shot up, tousling some of his hair back. He rose and moved over to the desk where a map was sprawled out. "First suggestion is perhaps Agrabah. Hopefully the scrolls there will have the information we need." Exhaustion seemed to nag at him, but the former assassin shrugged it off. The other option is to perhaps look at M'Baku."

_Both of those locations require travel over water for the sake of expediency. You have a plan for that?_

"No. We can take the long way around to get to Agrabah, and the surrounding desert kingdoms. As far as M'Baku goes, I have no clear idea what to do. Hopefully we'll find something in our own training." This was the moment she knew to expect from him. The moment where he stopped thinking and started doing.

_Like a way for us to sleep on the ocean I should remind you that we both still need our rest. I know you haven't fully recovered from Jassiney._ She saw the pain in his mind from moving around, the exhaustion that he felt, and some of that exhaustion was starting to become mutual.

Esmerelle let out a sigh when she saw her human friend relax. "You're right. Neither of us are invincible. Go back to your rest, my friend. I look forward to talking to you in the coming days."

_And I you. Rest well, little one._ She saw him return to the bed, and soon the soft silence of sleep returned to the two companions.

**Yay! Corvino will travel more! What does that mean for the budding romance between him and Elsa? Also, I am looking at adding more perspectives, let me know ideas of people you want insight into from the story. Also, don't be afraid to just yell at me for the sake of it. Until next time!**


	19. False Calm

**I have returned from the Netherworld of the Force! Ok, I'm a little excited for The Force Awakens, but I took the time to crank out this. I apologize as work has been absolutely crazy these past few months. I will try to get back some regular consistency. So without further ado, here we go!**

Corvino

The next day awoke him with a thump as he found himself rolling out of bed. When he got his wits about him, he could sense Esmerelle sleeping. He figured he'd let her continue to do so, and began preparing the solution that would awake Anna. When he set that, he began to look over the books he recovered, most of them historical records or manuscripts of past kings and their councils. He catalogued them on a scroll, and set them aside for later reading. Breakfast was brought to him, and he grabbed a dark scale-bound book that was unmarked. The tome was rather thick and he set it on a stand on the table as he began to drink some of the tea provided to him. Opening the book, he began to read it.

When he realized the depth of what he was reading, he hastily shoved the breakfast he picked at aside, and ran across the room, searching for a journal. His heart began pounding with excitement as he began translation, and the realization of what he had been reading caused his mind to jump awake. He had stumbled upon the lost tome of the dragons: Draconomicon.

Elsa

The queen awoke, realizing she had fallen asleep reading this book about dragons that she had been enchanted by. She was entranced by all the knowledge that she was doing her best to absorb. She became aware of her morning meal awaiting her on a table across the room, and she marked the page so she would not lose her place. As she did so, one word caught her eye: Esmerelle, the Protector.

Kristoff

He sat by the bed. Days seemed to crawl, and every day, he sat beside Anna's bed, waiting for her to wake up. He knew Corvino was pushing himself to try to make sense of what was going on, but the big man hated feeling powerless. Kristoff found himself walking around the castle to try to clear his head. He visted Sven in the stables, and tended to his best friend. He told the reindeer all his frustrations, and found himself punching the door to the stall. The wood seemed to shatter from the his strength, but he didn't care. He felt a nudge at his shoulder.

_He's doing what he can._ The animal 'Said.' _He has pushed himself rather hard just to get her back._

"I know, buddy. I just wish I could do more."

_Be there for both Anna and Elsa. What do you think this is doing to the queen? You may love Anna, but that's her sister and her best friend there._

"I don't even know why Corvino is still even here. I mean it almost seems like he forced his crusade on us."

At that moment, he heard a voice calling him. He turned around to see a messenger. "I have something for you, ser." Kristoff was handed a scroll and a vial and then the messenger ran off.

The big man opened the scroll and read it, sensing Sven leaning over his shoulder. The letter was from Corvino, or so he had thought. He had never actually seen the man's handwriting. The vial was supposed to wake Anna up. It explained what to expect as she awoke, and apologized for the delay in getting it to her.

Relief overwhelmed the man. Anna was going to be awake. A goofy smile crossed his face, and he looked at his best friend. "Well buddy, I have to go wake sleeping beauty. See you soon."

He ran off to give her the antidote as soon as he could.

Corvino

So much translation, so little time! The former assassin skipped lunch, and when he looked away from the book, it was already late afternoon. He didn't even notice the knock that distracted him from his work. He heard it the second time. "Come in."

He stood up and walked back to the antidote he was working on. He noticed the queen enter the room. He always noticed when she entered the room, even if he couldn't see her. Something about her presence just tipped it off. "I was wondering when you were going to visit your dashing rogue." He was teasing her, he knew, but it was becoming more and more common. The woman was beginning to peel away the armor he guarded his heart with.

What happened next seemed to make something deep inside flutter. "I found something you should see." The pair said the words at the same time.

"You first." she said.

He looked at Elsa and smirked, noticing her blush. "No. Please. Ladies first."

"I found the book that you pulled Esmerelle's name from. You never said anything about it." She shot at him quizzically.

"You never asked," He shot back.

"Kind of a big detail, finding the name here." She began to bore her way into Corvino's eyes, causing him to smile again, and look away.

"I didn't mentinon it because you didn't ask. Besides, I'm not the star of that story, you are." He began putting the final touches on the antidote. "At that time, our two stories just intersected. We weren't intertwined."

"Intertwined?" She walked over and again caught his attention. A thought crept into his mind, she was kind of cute when she was like this, figuring things out about him for herself.

"Well it seems that in some way shape or form, we are destined to know each other. How else would you explain what's happened?" He pointed to the book. "It's true, that book is what I originally came for. Problem was, your castle was closed off. Your coronation was a perfect time for me to sneak in. Guards busy with parties and whatnot."

"That was your brilliant plan?" He was rubbing off on her, he could tell. That same wit and sarcasm he held for so long was coming back to him in a form other than his dragon.

"It's not like I was going to get an invitation. Besides, bribery fit in with what I knew how to do." He paused. "and even then, the one I bribed tried to give me the money back. Of course, that was after Anna got noble and went after you...Sorry."

"Are you ever going to tell me what exactly you were looking for?" Her voice steeled, and he knew he hit a nerve that he shouldn't have.

"Something that until this morning I never thought existed. I worked for years to find a copy of a book of legend, one that's referred to by name in that book you have." He put the materials down and cleaned his hands off. The former assassin seemed to bound over to his desk. He picked up a black book, seemingly leather-bound. "I give you Draconomicon, _the_ book of dragons."

Elsa

At first, her mind disappeared into the depths of her heart. He always seemed to one-up her. Then it clicked in her mind what he was talking about when she saw the excitement in his eyes. The steel orbs he owned contained a spark of almost insanity. As if he were a kid whom had just gotten the toy he had been coveting for years. "What do you mean the book of dragons?" she asked, indulging him.

"I mean, this can catagorize them, containes procedural issues, and most importantly, a solid blueprint to restore the Draconic Knights. This is the tome that I have wanted to memorize since I first found I was raising a dragon. I can't wait to tell Esmerelle." Elsa had to admit, this was probably the happiest she had ever seen the man.

"You'll have to settle for me." the comment came out barbed, but that was not how she meant it. Thankfully Corvino seemed to pick up on it.

"In all honesty, you probably would have been the second, but she does have the unfair advantage when it comes to things like this, what with the telepathy and all." He moved back over to the book. Her eyes now picked up the fact that it seemed to be bound with dragon scales.

"So this has everything that you need to rebuild? She felt some anticipation, and had a thought of feeling close to him cross her mind. This wasn't a goal she knew much about before he came into her life. Yet now, the queen felt excitement for the man.

"No. not directly. It has more in-depth bonding techniques. It also contains the screening process." Corvino replaced the book on the desk.

"Screening process?" A new sense of apprehension crossed her heart. What if she wasn't worthy of having a dragon? Would Corvino still stay? Would they be able to...

"Elsa? You hear anything I just said?" He caught her lost in her own mind, and she mentally cursed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." Her face felt warm, as she was sure she was bluffing.

"I said that it's a way to try to prevent certain individuals from taking a dragon then corrupting them" Corvino took a drink from yet another bottle of rum. She figured he probably brought some from Jassiney.

"Like what happened to King Marus?" He shook his head.

"No. Marus went through the death of a dragon. That's different. He named the dragon in honor of his late wife. After she passed, the dragon held a connection with him that was almost rooted in a way that it can only be described as legendary. It was still his way of grieving." He paused, and she knew he was returning to the story-teller. "There's more to that story."

He took another drink. "And you're not going to tell me?" Elsa meant the challenge to get another secret from the man."

"We should focus on the present for now. I promise you will hear that story, but once we have things settled with Anna." He went back to preparing the antidote and Elsa left him to his work.

Kristoff

Just as the note predicted, Anna was hungry. He raided the kitchens to make sure she ate enough. Every so often she would ask about what was happening in the kingdom, but one thing stuck out at him: She hadn't asked for Elsa yet. It didn't bother him enough to keep making trips to the kitchen, and with every return, she looked more and more like herself. He was introduced to Midnight, her wyrmling, and the little tyke seemed to get along with Sven really well. He was snaking his way through the reindeer's antlers, as he left this last time.

This particular time, he made his way through the halls, and as he was whistling to himself, he bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Not at all, my friend." It was Corvino. "I was actually on my way to see you."

"Before you start, I do want to thank you for all you've done for Anna. She's alert and awake, just like you said she would be." If it weren't for the tray he carried, he would have gripped the man in a bone-crunching hug. A goofy grin spread across the big man's face as he said the words.

"Just like I said? I just finished the antidote for the hibernation draught." Confusion crossed the former assassin's face and crept into his voice.

"You sent a messenger to give me the antidote earlier. It had to be you." Kristoff tried to re-assure for the both of them.

"I've been busy all day. I have no clue what you are talking about." Corvino's response dropped the grin from the ice harvester's face.

"Well if you didn't give me the antidote, then who did?" Kristoff dropped the tray and ran off to Anna's room. He knew Corvino was in tow, but didn't hear him.

He burst into the room, and saw Anna standing, in armor he didn't recognize. "Anna?" He barely registered a figure in the shadows run out the window, and saw his bethrothed follow.

"You take the princess I'll go after the stranger." Corvino flew by the big man in a flash. Sven picked the big man up from behind with his antlers and threw Kristoff on his back as the pair made their way through to the castle to the courtyard and the stables.

Corvino

The tactics, the outfit, the stance of the figure, it all wasn't just familiar. It was something that despite his trying reflected from his training. Somehow, some way, the Shadow was back. If he didn't catch the mystery person, he knew there was going to be a trail of dead bodies.

He began to reach out with all his senses. The new rogue had to be around here somewhere. He followed the buildings into the streets of the city. Blending into the shadows, he began observing. The winter weather dictated a necessity for the dark clothing everyone wore, but everyone seemed to be wearing heavy clothes to keep the cold grip of winter out. He climbed to the rooftops to try to gain a visual advantage. That's when the war horns began blowing.

Elsa

The horns began blowing, and right away she saw the golden flash take off and hurtle towards the city. Corypheus was on his way, but Elsa wondered if the sister dragon would join. She pushed the question out of her mind as she ran to the courtyard. When she arrived, she froze. Anna was awake, and facing off against Kristoff. She ran towards the two, but then soldiers grabbed her and pulled her to a safe room. She hated how it happened, and how it made her feel powerless. She wanted to confront Anna, to repair what had been done, but she did not know how. From her vantage point, she watched as the latest raid was being driven off, but she couldn't help but think that this was more than a raid.

Corvino

The former assassin ran across the rooftops. It seemed foolish in his mind, but he vowed he wasn't going to call upon Esmerelle. He followed the figure towards the harbor. He landed in the street amidst a group of raiders and dispatched them quickly. He found a new sensation growing inside of him. One that he couldn't explain. It was almost as if The Killer had been corraled, finding more of a reason to fight. He pushed the reflections out of his mind, as he focused on his task.

Another group spilled in front of him, and he again made quick work of them. He was going to solve this mystery, and do so quickly. His mind focused on the objective. He flew around the corner and decided to call upon the power of the darkness. Moving from shadow to shadow, he began to catch up to the unknown spy.

The figure turned the corner, and when he rounded it, there was a new group, blocking both him and his quarry. The quarry tried to push through the crowd, but was pushed back towards him. Something felt familiar. He studied the group before turning back to the figure.

It was a female, as the lowered hood revealed that. She could be constituted as pretty, but he knew that the beauty would be used for deception. She began pleading, pouting her lips with a slight quiver and widening the eyes.

"Fake tears will get you nowhere. You are mine." The venom dripped from his voice as he circled his prey.

"Excuse me. I have no clue who you think you are, but my men caught her." The voice from his past cut the air, and he considered himself lucky that his hood was up.

Corvino Al'Draco turned around to see an even more beautiful woman with tanned skin and raven hair that he knew all too well. "You meddle with the affairs of assassins? Not wise, my lovely." He slipped back into the role of the shadow. The cold-blooded killer.

"My catch, my prisoner." She stated, walking right up to him. "Do you know who I am?"

"No." It was a lie, selling the ruse. "Nor do I care. This woman will answer for her crimes."

"Umm. Excuse me, the lady's crew did catch me first." The spy began to continue, but Corvino knocked her out by using a blow from the shadows.

Right after that, guards ran around the corner. "We have you all surrounded. Lay down your weapons, and we will take you in peacefully." To his surprise, the woman and her crew obliged. To everyone else's surprise, Corvino did the same. That is, until he set off a smoke bomb in his cloak. The simple trick was more than enough to get away, but he ran back to the castle. His mind was more focused on the defense there.

Kristoff

Anna had training. That much was evident. She seemed to turn aside each of the big man's blows and was now even beginning to outlast him. He kept his defenses up, but they were starting to weaken. He tried to reason with her, pleading her to stop, but the bubbly red-head he had fallen in love with was unrelenting.

"Please Anna. I love you. I don't want to hurt you." He tried once again, hopelessy pleading with her.

"I want you to rule with me after we destroy my sister. But you'll get in the way of that. I can forsee it." the voice she used was so unlike Anna. Olaf was hiding, cowering in fear in the corner. Sven was watching stunned.

"Anna, you never wanted that. Now you're even talking about killing your own sister. Your best friend. Please, listen to yourself." Kristoff's movements were slowing. He was tiring. "Anna, please."

She responded by bashing him with her shield. The force of the impact sent him across the courtyard. Something seemed to snap inside of her. She charged across the courtyard at him. There was nothing he could do. His axe was on the other side of the courtyard, stuck in the ground. The wind was knocked out of him, and he was pretty sure when he impacted the wall, he felt a crunching feeling in his chest.

That was when his heart sank. He barely registered the brown flash. He saw Anna, and then he saw fur. When he looked up again, he saw Anna, who seemed to have snapped again, but in a different way as she stared horrified. He followed his gaze to see Sven, her blade embedded in the courageous Reindeer.

**And you all hate me again, don't you? I'll be in my cave keeping the entrance blocked off until I see TFA and then will get back to cataloguing the pitchforks, torches and implements intended for my destruction. See you all next time!**


	20. You're Gonna Need These

**Again, apologies for the sporadic updates. Going to try for once a month now.**

Kristoff

He saw Sven, and in that moment, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He didn't even register his hand gripping the haft of his battleaxe, didn't even see what he was doing until it was already done.

Somewhere he found anger, and began swinging away. He barely noticed Anna grabbing her blade from the wounded reindeer, and he didn't care. The blows kept coming, and he suddenly found his fiancee on the defensive. The blows didn't stop when his axe sparked off of her shield. They didn't stop when he broke her blade, and they didn't stop when he knocked the shield away.

When he did have a killing blow lined up, something made him pause. He saw those big blue eyes that he fell in love with. The next thing he felt was exhaustion consuming him, as he fell to the ground.

Corvino

The former assassin touched down in time to see the near-giant's outburst of strength. He made his way over to Sven and began comforting the animal. In a whirl he shed his cloak and applied it to the wound. The gash was not instantly fatal, but controlling the bloodloss would be a challenge. All the while, he projected his thoughts to Sven's mind, humming some soothing notes from a lullaby from years past. He had just finished tying off a tourniquet when he heard a metallic crack.

He looked over and surprise and concern crossed his face when he saw Anna's blade broken. The princess wasn't going to last long.

_Don't let him do anything he'll regret._ The thought crossed his mind, but it wasn't his.

The former assassin looked over at the reindeer and nodded. "Don't move."

The reindeer weakly grunted, and he knew that it watched him walk over. Kristoff toppled over from exhaustion, and Anna started to his side, but then froze. Her eyes flitted between the former assassin and her bethrothed. In that moment, Corvino Al'Draco saw something in her that he knew all too well.

"Sven will live. You'll be happy to know. As for Kristoff, just some sleep. At least initially." He moved to the big man's side and rolled the ice master on his back. "Funny. I hadn't pegged him for a beserker."

He looked back up at the princess, who was now looking around for the sounds of battle, which seemed to be nearing. "You're scared, ashamed and broken. Not only can I tell, but I've been there before."

"How do I make up for this?" Her voice was shaky, as she quietly posed her inquiry. Her head hung to the ground and she slumped against the wall. "How do I know I've even broken this...hold the bastard has over me?"

"As for the mind control, I can't say. Since you're not actively trying to kill everything that's still living, I'd say you've at least got a temporary reprieve." He looked around the courtyard and saw the carnage. Sven laboring with the trolls beginning to aid him, Kristoff still passed out, and more than a few dead guards. The former assassin in him was impressed. The man he turned out to be continued. "I know that look, I've seen it before. You're gonna run. Your sister is going to want me to follow, and naturally I'll refuse, because there are more important things to attend to here."

"How do you know about me? About what I want to do?" The defeated statement was not the bubbly princess he had known for the short time he was here.

"I know, because I have done it before." He lifed the girl's head so that she could see his face. "Difference is when I did it, I killed hundreds. I was so desensitized to death that it took many, many more people to pay the price. I still to this day don't know the count of the ones that were ushered into the cold embrace of death by my hands. You do. So, Anna. Tell me."

Anna

She sat horrified. So much death. So much destruction. All by her hand. Now the man was telling her to confront it all. She didn't want to face the numbers. "They came to take me back, didn't they?" that was the first thing she could after an uncomfortably long silence.

"They sent a grunt to do their dirty work." The reply was curt, and he chuckled. "Even now you worry for others. You may not see it now, but I think you'll turn out all right."

"What do I do?" She trembled, and felt the nudge from Midnight comforting her.

"For now, go to the mountain. In four day's time there will be a ship leaving this port called the Siren's Call. The captain will take you on as a hired hand." He explained.

"How do you know?" Her mind began racing. "I'm kind of well known."

"Let me finish. You'll approach the ship at dawn. That's when the ship will be setting sail. As to how I know that the captain will help you, I will arrange it."

"How will this help me?" She could sense that Midnight was giving him the same look that she was.

"The captain owes me a favor. I served as a crewmember on that ship before Esmerelle got too big to be on a ship." He stood and started looking at the blades in the courtyard, testing them. "Who knew that having a dragon, even just a young dragon is useful when raiding."

"And this captain can be trusted?" She asked. She wondered about his current actions.

"With my life. It was that very ship I sailed on when I ran, however It took me some time to find something to do. It helped the wanderlust, and kept my skills sharp." Dissatisfied with the blades, he walked back to the fallen princess. "There is one more thing."

Surprise filled her when he removed his twin blades. "You're gonna need these," he remarked, handing them reverently to her.

"I can't take these." Anna just didn't feel worthy of taking them.

"You need new weapons, and I think you've gotten the co-ordination to dual-wield. The captain can help you out with that as well." after a few moments, he spoke again. "The person who passed these blades to me told me that I was on the edge of change. The blades marked me as a part of something greater. Then he handed me a rock and sent me on my way. That rock proved to be Esmerelle's egg. You already know what those are, and what these symbolize. That's going to open some doors for you, but close some too. Above all, you will learn more about yourself than you ever knew."

She took the blades cautiously, afraid he was going to yank them back. There was no way she deserved this. "How do you know?"

"Because we all go through a trial by fire. That's what life is about. The trials that you and I face are similar in the gravity of the situation. We both have killed a lot of people. We both have dragons. The only major difference is that you can still count the number of people you killed if you tried hard enough. Not that I recommend that." He removed his hands from the blades and helped secure them in her gear. "Thing is, we're at a very chaotic time that causes us to fight for what we believe in. Now, I could have you fight, unsure of those reasons, or have you find them for yourself. Which would you prefer?"

She stared into those steel-orbs that entranced her sister, and she saw the honesty that hid under the mask of wit and confidence. She couldn't bring herself to answer, but just nodded. With a whispered expression of gratitude, she left. Winding her ways through her childhood home, she saw intruders. Ignoring them, and letting them pass without seeing her was one thing. Getting out without the guards seeing, that was another.

Corvino

"She shouldn't be by herself." the ancient voice came from behind him.

"It won't do her much good to be here." He turned to see Pabbie. "You're going to say that she needs love, but it's worthless when it's given to someone who can't love the reflection they see in the mirror each day."

The troll was about to respond when a clattering of boots rang through the walls. "Get those two out. I'll handle this." The tone in his voice was dark. As had happened all to often lately, the Killer came out to play, and this time, there wasn't going to be anything standing but him.

Elsa

She heard the march, and ran towards the courtyard. She peered around the wall to see Corvino standing in the courtyard alone, and without his blades. Even without the twin blades, however, she knew he was far from unarmed. He spoke, and at first she thought he was talking to her. Then she noticed the group surrounding him.

"Glad to see you all made it. No doubt sent by Queen Tarja to bring Princess Anna back. Thing is, she's gone now. Beyond your reach, and the best part is, she slipped away from underneath your nose. You'll have to settle for me."

The group seemed considerable, and before Elsa could start counting, they began rushing the former assassin. She had seen something similar once before, but that was just with highwaymen. These were obviously some sort of soldiers whom had been trained. Numbers seemed to make up for quite a bit, but Corvino still seemed to find a way to keep himself in the fight. Surprisingly, he still had yet to incapacitate one of them.

As the skirmish continued, it became apparent that he was being corraled indoors. The queen knew that while the narrow hallways of the castle would prove to be beneficial in limiting the numbers, it also limited his movement potential. She began to formulate an idea, and froze doorways along the halls. If he was to be corraled, he would go someplace where he still would have some advantage.

She finished sealing off the empty ballroom, as what looked to descend into an all-out brawl against one man spilled into the room. By this time, Corvino had procured a chain with a hook on it. Elsa sealed herself from the ballroom and watched from behind the ice as the former assassin continued the fight as close to his terms as possible. The one thing that stuck out to Elsa was the lack of the steel colored orbs she had fallen in love with, instead seemingly replaced with black shadows.

Corvino

He noticed the guidance he was getting from a certain queen. One of the men led with a hook at the end of a reach of chain. Instead of dodging, he rolled, and tugged the chain, commandeering it. The sinister weapon went out with a flash, slicing the poor man's throat open. During the kill, a single thought crossed his mind. One.

Using his reflexes, he dodged a hammer blow, which then hit the man moving to flank the former assassin. An audible crunch was heard, as that man was felled. The wielder of the hammer was so shocked that he barely registered the chain wrapped around his throat until it was too late. One swift tug snapped the man's neck. Three.

The next group came in and the savagery increased, as he sliced open the belly of one man who wielded a double sword. Four. Corvino picked up the weapon and used it with limited efficiency. He missed the versitility that his dual blades gave him, but he adapted. He swung the blade around, stabbing one man chargin him, and slid back, hitting a second. Six.

One blade snapped as he brought it to block a blow from a greataxe. The response that the wielder got was for the former assassin to drop the broken weapon and whirl into the man's grip on the haft and then he screamed in horror as his elbows snapped. The relinquished weapon was then turned on it's wielder as the head of the weapon buried itself hungrily into the man's skull. Seven. As the Killer turned around, blood was beginning to drip off the blade of the axe. The crimson liquid would only begin to collect from there.

The border of savagery passed, he was pushing the border of brutality. The normally calculating assassin combined it with his fury, bringing it to bear at the expense of the intruders. The axe blade bit hungrily into Corvino's foes, causing them to lose identity and become numbers to him.

As if symbolic, the haft of the axe broke when it bit into the last man standing. Nineteen. Seeing no use in the broken weapon, he dropped it, returning to a normal state.

"Impressive. I didn't know you had that in you." Corvino followed the sound of the voice and there stood a man in clothing he knew all too well.

"So Tarja is rebuilding the shadow? Interesting." Corvino begain circling a pile of bodies with the man keeping pace directly across from him. "You won't win." As the essence of violence left his consciousness, his hands reached to a set of daggers.

"She shared stories of your prowess. I will be hailed as a hero for defeating you." The man drew a pair of obsidian-colored blades.

"Better and worse than you have tried." The duel between the two assassins began, and Corvino already was working to defend the blade disadvantage. The daggers he used sparked, each time the obsidian blades were blocked. "Nice blades. I may have to claim them when you fall."

"Better and worse than you have tried." the other assassin had wit, but the skills were Corvino's concern. As the clash continued, the prince observed that this man was younger, and a little stronger. The older assassin held the speed advantage however, and he pressed it when he could. The issue came in the fact that the distance couldn't be closed.

When the older assassin couldn't get close, he jumped back and launched a barrage of daggers towards the other man, hoping the scatter would collect a few hits. The other man seemed to block all of them, but the younger man grunted slighty. Corvino cursed the training, for had this been a normal opponent, he would be able to feel out where the hit was scored, and the severity. The grunt did cause a plan to form in the older man. He began firing more and more blades out, before running out of actual knives. A few more grunts, a few more hits. He coaxed the shadow magic, and bade knives to come out of his bracers. He flung them until his arms became sore. The other man was beginning to teeter, and that's when Corvino struck, breaking an arm, and claiming one of the obsidian blades. The hilt seemed to contour to his grip, and he launched a fury, and it became more apparent that he was drawing blood from the other man. Finally, the older assassin found an opening and sliced upwards, fling blood in the air and felling the man.

Corvino picked up the other blade, and began to look them over. This was going to warrant more study. As he sheathed the blades, he noticed something seem to drip. Following the trail, he saw blood and gore along the ceiling and chandaliers. One thought rang through his head as he raised his hood. _Gerda is going to kill me._

**Indeed, Gerda is going to kill him. I however hope you won't kill me. Just know I didn't have the heart to kill Sven...yet. So where is this going to take the budding relationship between Elsa and Corvino? Where will Anna end up going? You'll have to find out next time. As always, feel free to comment or message me.**


	21. The Killer

**Hey guys. I am seeing new favorites and new follows and that's great to see. Thanks for the support, even though I've been sporadic with the past few chapters. I'd like to blame it all on work, but there also has been a slight inspiration issue. That said, I've actually had this chapter for a while, I just wanted to add more to it. Now that I have started to add more, I realize it should be a new chapter, so this is what I have for you. With my ramblings aside, Enjoy!**

Anna

She sat horrified. So much death. So much destruction. All by her hand. Now the man was telling her to confront it all. She didn't want to face the numbers. "They came to take me back, didn't they?" that was the first thing she could after an uncomfortably long silence.

"They sent a grunt to do their dirty work." The reply was curt, and he chuckled. "Even now you worry for others. You may not see it now, but I think you'll turn out all right."

"What do I do?" She trembled, and felt the nudge from Midnight comforting her.

"For now, go to the mountain. In four day's time there will be a ship leaving this port called the Siren's Call. The captain will take you on as a hired hand." He explained.

"How do you know?" Her mind began racing. "I'm kind of well known."

"Let me finish. You'll approach the ship at dawn. That's when the ship will be setting sail. As to how I know that the captain will help you, I will arrange it."

"How will this help me?" She could sense that Midnight was giving him the same look that she was.

"The captain owes me a favor. I served as a crewmember on that ship before Esmerelle got too big to be on a ship." He stood and started looking at the blades in the courtyard, testing them. "Who knew that having a dragon, even just a young dragon is useful when raiding."

"And this captain can be trusted?" She asked. She wondered about his current actions.

"With my life. It was that very ship I sailed on when I ran, however It took me some time to find something to do. It helped the wanderlust, and kept my skills sharp." Dissatisfied with the blades, he walked back to the fallen princess. "There is one more thing."

Surprise filled her when he removed his twin blades. "You're gonna need these," he remarked, handing them reverently to her.

"I can't take these." Anna just didn't feel worthy of taking them.

"You need new weapons, and I think you've gotten the co-ordination to dual-wield. The captain can help you out with that as well." after a few moments, he spoke again. "The person who passed these blades to me told me that I was on the edge of personal change. The blades marked me as a part of something greater. Then he handed me a rock and sent me on my way. That rock proved to be Esmerelle's egg. You already know what those are, and what these symbolize. That's going to open some doors for you, but close some too. Above all, you will learn more about yourself than you ever knew."

She took the blades cautiously, afraid he was going to yank them back. There was no way she deserved this. "How do you know?"

"Because we all go through a trial by fire. That's what life is about. The trials that you and I face are similar in the gravity of the situation. We both have killed a lot of people. We both have dragons. The only major difference is that you can still count the number of people you killed if you tried hard enough. Not that I recommend that." He removed his hands from the blades and helped secure them in her gear. "Thing is, we're at a very chaotic time that causes us to fight for what we believe in. Now, I could have you fight, unsure of those reasons, or have you find them for yourself. Which would you prefer?"

She stared into those steel-orbs that entranced her sister, and she saw the honesty that hid under the mask of wit and confidence. She couldn't bring herself to answer, but just nodded. With a whispered expression of gratitude, she left. Winding her ways through her childhood home, she saw intruders. Ignoring them, and letting them pass without seeing her was one thing. Getting out without the guards seeing, that was another.

Corvino

"She shouldn't be by herself." the ancient voice came from behind him.

"It won't do her much good to be here." He turned to see Pabbie. "You're going to say that she needs love, but it's worthless when it's given to someone who can't love the reflection they see in the mirror each day."

The troll was about to respond when a clattering of boots rang through the walls. "Get those two out. I'll handle this." The tone in his voice was dark. As had happened all to often lately, the Killer came out to play, and this time, there wasn't going to be anything standing but him.

Elsa

She heard the march, and ran towards the courtyard. She peered around the wall to see Corvino standing in the courtyard alone, and without his blades. Even without the twin blades, however, she knew he was far from unarmed. He spoke, and at first she thought he was talking to her. Then she noticed the group beginning to surround him.

"Glad to see you all made it. No doubt sent by Queen Tarja to bring Princess Anna back. Thing is, she's gone now. Beyond your reach, and the best part is, she slipped away from underneath your nose. You'll have to settle for me."

The group seemed considerable, and before Elsa could start counting, they began rushing the former assassin. She had seen something similar once before, but that was just with highwaymen. These were obviously some sort of soldiers whom had been trained. Numbers seemed to make up for quite a bit, but Corvino still seemed to find a way to keep himself in the fight. Surprisingly, he still had yet to incapacitate one of them.

As the skirmish continued, it became apparent that he was being corraled indoors. The queen knew that while the narrow hallways of the castle would prove to be beneficial in limiting the numbers, it also limited his movement potential. She began to formulate an idea, and froze doorways along the halls. If he was to be corraled, he would go someplace where he still would have some advantage.

She finished sealing off the empty ballroom, as what looked to descend into an all-out brawl against one man spilled into the room. By this time, Corvino had procured a chain with a hook on it. Elsa sealed herself from the ballroom and watched from behind the ice as the former assassin continued the fight as close to his terms as possible. The one thing that stuck out to Elsa was the lack of the steel colored orbs she had fallen for, instead seemingly replaced with black shadows.

Corvino

He noticed the guidance he was getting from a certain queen. One of the men led with a hook at the end of a reach of chain. Instead of dodging, he rolled, and tugged the chain, commandeering it. The sinister weapon went out with a flash, slicing the poor man's throat open. During the kill, a single thought crossed his mind. One.

Using his reflexes, he dodged a hammer blow, which then hit the man moving to flank the former assassin. An audible crunch was heard, as that man was felled. The wielder of the hammer was so shocked that he barely registered the chain wrapped around his throat until it was too late. One swift tug snapped the man's neck. Three.

The next group came in and the savagery increased, as he sliced open the belly of one man who wielded a double sword. Four. Corvino picked up the weapon and used it with limited efficiency. He missed the versitility that his dual blades gave him, but he adapted. He swung the blade around, stabbing one man chargin him, and slid back, hitting a second. Six.

One blade snapped as he brought it to block a blow from a greataxe. The response that the wielder got was for the former assassin to drop the broken weapon and whirl into the man's grip on the haft and then he screamed in horror as his elbows snapped. The relinquished weapon was then turned on it's wielder as the head of the weapon buried itself hungrily into the man's skull. Seven. As the Killer turned around, blood was beginning to drip off the blade of the axe. The crimson liquid would only begin to collect from there.

The border of savagery passed, he was pushing the border of brutality. The normally calculating assassin combined it with his fury, bringing it to bear at the expense of the intruders. He wheeled around seeing more challengers, and a sadistic grin crossed his face as he eyed a man wielding a greatsword. "More for the count, huh? Fair enough. Let's see how well you do."

Esmerelle

Her dreams turned dark. She slowly began to rouse herself, and what she saw was worse than any nightmare the dragon could have. She had expirienced the former assassin's darkness before, but this was something the dragon had never seen. Esmerelle knew she had to do something, so she got up and flew towards the capital, hoping to get there in time to convince her best friend of mercy.

As the dragon approached, she heard Corypheus roar. Her brother was chasing a group off into the hills, but she knew the meaning behind the sound. He wanted her help.

_Brother, I can't. Something's wrong with Corvino. _She hated how selfish that plea seemed. She knew that there was a small village there that needed to be protected.

_You must do what you feel is right, sister. Just remember that he has proven skilled in combat._ The response wasn't condescending, but it had a tone to it as if to point out what can happen in violent conflicts.

Esmerelle cursed silently, and flew to help her brother. The needs of the many would have to outweigh her own worries in this case. The chilling truth was that Corvino likely would handle the situation, and she would have to deal with the reprecussions later.

Elsa

This was beginning to put a foul taste in her mouth. The queen observed Corvino charge the man with the greatsword and chop the arm off. The reflexes were impressive to catch the hilt of the blade in his free hand, and there was a surge of strength that allowed him to dual-wield the two heavy weapons.

Her only reasoning that it was magic was cut short by a sickening crunch as the former assassin stepped on the disarmed man's head. Her blood ran cold when he spoke, as the voice was his, but it was devoid of any feeling. "Eight."

The greatsword blocked a few blows before the greataxe spun on it's arc, decapitating the agressors. "Twelve." Elsa couldn't bear to watch anymore and she made her way to the tower where the two had shared happier memories.

Corvino

Reverse grip, raise, throw. The blade impacted one soldier, and impaled the second one behind him. Fourteen. He spun the axe around with force, cleaving a brave soul who charged him. Fifteen. The haft of the axe was beginning to bow from the force of the blows that it was being used to give. Dodge, bash, cut. Sixteen. The axe was removed from that soldier's skull with a squelch. There were three left that he could see, but he knew that there was one person hiding in the shadows.

The three charged him as a group, and he manuvered and parried until two were taken out by their comrades missing the former assassin. The last man standing must have been green, because he stood there horrified seeing his compatriot dead by his hand. The response the man got as he looked at Corvino was the axe head burying itself hungrily in his head. Ninteen. As if symbolic, the haft broke, leaving the head in it's victim. Seeing no use in the broken weapon, the killer tossed it aside, beginning to return to a normal state.

"Impressive. I didn't know you had that in you." Corvino followed the sound of the voice and there stood a man in clothing he knew all too well.

"So Tarja is rebuilding the shadow? Interesting." Corvino begain circling a pile of bodies with the man keeping pace directly across from him. "You won't win." As the essence of violence left his consciousness, his hands reached to a set of daggers. This kill wasn't going to be his dark side, this one was all his.

"She shared stories of your prowess. I will be hailed as a hero for defeating you." The man drew a pair of obsidian-colored blades.

"Better and worse than you have tried." The duel between the two assassins began, and Corvino already was working to defend the blade disadvantage. The daggers he used sparked, each time the obsidian blades were blocked. "Nice blades. I may have to claim them when you fall."

"Better and worse than you have tried." the other assassin had wit, but the skills were Corvino's concern. As the clash continued, the prince observed that this man was younger, and a little stronger. The older assassin held the speed advantage however, and he pressed it when he could. The issue came in the fact that the distance couldn't be closed.

When the older assassin couldn't get close, he jumped back and launched a barrage of daggers towards the other man, hoping the scatter would collect a few hits. The other man seemed to block all of them, but the he grunted slighty. Corvino cursed the training, for had this been a normal opponent, he would be able to feel out where the hit was scored, and the severity. The grunt did cause a plan to form in the older man. He began firing more and more blades out, before running out of actual knives. A few more grunts, a few more hits. He coaxed the shadow magic, and bade knives to come out of his bracers. He flung them until his arms became sore. The other man was beginning to teeter, and that's when Corvino struck, breaking an arm, and claiming one of the obsidian blades. The hilt seemed to contour to his grip, and he launched a fury, and it became more apparent that he was drawing blood from the other man. Finally, the older assassin found an opening and sliced upwards, flinging blood in the air and felling the man.

Corvino picked up the other blade, and began to look them over. This was going to warrant more study. As he sheathed the blades, he noticed something seem to drip. Following the trail, he saw blood and gore along the ceiling and chandeliers. One thought rang through his head as he raised his hood. _Gerda is going to kill me._

**There you have it. Again, sorry for the delay. Next chapter will be sooner versus later. As always, feel free to review or message.**


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